$Unique_ID{COW02570} $Pretitle{433} $Title{Netherlands Population and Education} $Subtitle{} $Author{Antoinette de Cock Buning and Leo Verheijen} $Affiliation{Foreign Information Service} $Subject{education schools rights women equal higher secondary netherlands government years} $Date{1987} $Log{Table 2.*0257001.tab } Country: Netherlands Book: The Netherlands in Brief Author: Antoinette de Cock Buning and Leo Verheijen Affiliation: Foreign Information Service Date: 1987 Population and Education The population of the Netherlands is now 14.5 million compared with 5.1 million at the turn of the century. The country has a total surface area of 41,548 square kilometres, 4,243 of which are uninhabitable as they consist of rivers, canals and lakes. This means an average of 426 people to each square kilometre (1987). The most densely populated area is the 'Randstad' conurbation in the west of the country made up of the cities of Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht. The pressure of population in the Netherlands makes town and country planning a matter of special urgency (see the separate section on 'Physical Planning'). The surplus of births over deaths or natural growth of the population has gone down regularly since 1964, particularly in the 1970-1975 period. The birth rate declined from 18.3 per thousand in 1970 to 11.7 per thousand in 1986. The death rate fluctuates between 8 and 8.5 per thousand. Net gain through migration (the number of immigrants less the number of emigrants) has increased since the early sixties. Initially, the increase was largely the result of the immigration of foreign workers. In the 1970s there was an influx of immigrants from Suriname which achieved independence in 1975. The immigration of foreign workers has now virtually come to a halt but dependents of people already here are still being admitted. In fact entry is now granted only on humanitarian grounds (family reunification). Despite the immigration surplus, overall population growth in the Netherlands has declined in recent years, partly as a result of the fall in the birth rate, from 12 per thousand inhabitants in 1960 to roughly 8 per 1000 in 1986. It is estimated that the population will number roughly 15 million in the year 2000 in contrast to an earlier forecast of 20 million. The proportion of old people will rise from 11% to 14%. The Netherlands government does not consider that it will need to take any action in the next few years to influence the birth rate. Generally speaking, it regards the present situation as favourable but hopes eventually to arrive at a situation where both total population figures and the age structure of the population remain virtually static. At present, there are 17 municipalities in the Netherlands with more than 100,000 inhabitants: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Haarlem, Groningen, Tilburg, Nijmegen, Enschede, Apeldoorn, Arnhem, Breda, Zaanstad, Maastricht, Dordrecht and Leiden. [See Table 2.: Religious Denominations] Religion The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. The table shows the number of people who belong to various religious denominations and the changes which have taken place since 1900. The striking feature of these figures is the decline in membership of the Dutch Reformed Church to less than half its former strength and the rise in the number of people who do not belong to any denomination. Very roughly the regional distribution to any denominations is as follows: Roman Catholics are found chiefly in the provinces of Limburg and North Brabant, Protestants are strongest in a broad band running across the country from the south-west (Zeeland) to the north-east (Groningen). 'Compartmentalisation' A typical feature of Dutch society is what the Dutch themselves call 'compartmentalisation,' meaning the co-existence in political and social life of organisations with similar or identical goals but with a different ideological basis. This phenomenon is encountered in television, radio, the press, education, and in sport and social clubs. Young people About 5.5 million people or 40% of the population are under the age of 25. Government policy aims to offer young people as many opportunities as possible for personal development, in social and creative terms, and in education, recreation and employment. The social situation of young people has changed perceptibly over the years. They have more control over the way they live, they have greater independence and are attempting to define their own identity and attitudes in relation to society. Youth policy, coordinated by the Ministry of Welfare, Health and Cultural Affairs, seeks to harmonise measures taken by individual ministries to help young people in relation to housing, employment, welfare and health. Efforts are also made to achieve close interministerial cooperation on youth unemployment and out-patient and preventive care for young people. It would be wrong to ascribe the changes which have taken place in Dutch society to young people alone. They are the fruits of a long-term process set in motion by older people and previous generations. Young people's organisations are eligible for subsidies to enable them to take part in international meetings etc. The interests of voluntary bodies which undertake youth work are represented by the Netherlands Youth Work Federation which maintains links with both government and parliament. Equal rights for women Diverse women's organisations in the Netherlands have worked for equal rights for women during the last eighty years. The women's movement really began at the turn of the century with women from well-to-do intellectual circles demanding the same rights as men in education and eligibility for public office. Later working-class women pressed for improvements in their economic and social position, arguing that if they were not obliged to work, they would be able to devote more time to their families. Pressure from both groups led to the enfranchisement of women in 1919. Supported by international trends, the women's movement in the Netherlands again came to the fore in the 1960s. In recent years women have become more aware of their role in society and major changes in attitudes have challenged the traditional man/woman role pattern. This finds expression in a wider variety of lifestyles and relationships, the higher level of education enjoyed by women and the increasing desire of more women to work outside the home. The percentage of married women in employment in the Netherlands is still low compared to that in other countries. The government has responded to these trends with its equal rights policy. Two years after the United Nations Decade for Women started in 1975, it published its first policy document on equal rights entitled 'Equal rights: a process of change and growth'. From 1977 to 1986, a state secretary with special responsibility for equal rights policy was a member of the government. When the new government came into power in 1986, the post was abolished. Responsibility for equal rights now rests with the Minister of Employment and Social Security. The Interministerial Coordinating Committee on Women's Rights, on which all the ministries are represented, was set up to coordinate overall government policy. Virtually all of the ministries have their own committees to deal with women's rights in relation to their own special fields. A new government advisory body, the Equal Rights Council, was set up in 1981. It provides advice on request and on its own initiative on all policy proposals affecting women. It is made up of experts on equal rights from different political backgrounds and areas of society. The government presented its Equal Rights Policy Plan in 1985 in which it states that equal rights for women is a fundamental and irreversible process to which society has not responded adequately as yet. The central objective of equal rights policy in the medium term is to transform a society in which the division of roles between men and women is still largely institutionalised into a pluralist society where everyone has the opportunity of an independent existence, irrespective of sex or marital status and in which men and women have equal rights, opportunities, freedoms, and responsibilities. Equal rights policy is expressed in three specific objectives: - to guarantee equal rights for men and women; - to bring about structural changes so that society will no longer be based on different roles for men and women; - to eliminate the stereotyped image ofnwhat is 'masculine' or 'feminine'. It is vitally important for women to become economically independent to enable them to overcome their disadvantaged position. The objectives listed above will have to be formulated in more detail in certain areas. In the long term, the objectives of equal rights policy will have to be integrated into overall government policy. In a large number of areas, measures have been instituted to promote equal rights for women. They include legislation, the creation of educational and employment opportunities, steps to combat sexual violence against women and girls and measures to subsidise the work of the women's movement. Education The origins of the present Dutch education system can be traced back to the Batavian Republic, the unitary state which came into being after the French Revolution. Education occupies a central place in the Civil and Constitutional Regulations of 1789 which formed the basis of the first legislation on education in 1801. In 1848, the Netherlands, which had been a monarchy for 35 years, acquired a constitution which, among other things, enshrined the freedom to provide education. Thinking at the time was that central government should become less involved in governing and managing schools. It was therefore decided that the state should not have a monopoly of schools or education as a whole. Since that time, the municipalities have been closely involved in managing and governing schools, although the necessary funds have always been provided by the state. Schools set up by private organisations were not originally supported financially by the government. In 1917, after an educational debate which dominated political life in the Netherlands for 70 years (1848-1917), private and state schools were placed on an equal footing for financial purposes. Freedom of education became a basic right guaranteed by the constitution. Approximately 75% of all existing Dutch schools were set up by private bodies and associations, many of them of a Protestants or Catholic persuasion. The Dutch educational system comprises: - primary schools - special schools - secondary schools - institutes of higher education - institutes of international education Primary education Primary schools are for children aged 4-12. There are no schools in the Netherlands for children below the age of 4. There are play groups and creches for young children but they do not come under the Ministry of Education and Science. Children may attend primary school from the age of 4; from the age of 5, school attendance becomes compulsory. Primary schools prepare children for secondary education, In their first two years at primary school, they are taught the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic and manual skills, using play and learn methods. The curriculum for the remaining 6 years consists of lessons in Dutch, mathematics, writing, history, geography, science and social studies. Religion is also taught at private schools. In their final year at primary school children also learn English. Primary education is not final, nor do pupils receive a school-leaving certificate when they leave. They go on to secondary school, the type of which depends on their results, intelligence and aptitude and is often chosen in collaboration with teachers. Secondary education There are three types of secondary school: - general secondary schools - pre-university schools - vocational secondary schools There are two types of general secondary school: junior general secondary schools (MAVO) which offer a 4-year course, and senior general secondary schools (HAVO) which offer a 5-year course. Pre-university secondary schools (VWO) also consist of two types, the atheneum and the gymnasium, both of which offer children 6-year courses to prepare them for higher or university education. There are three levels of vocational education: junior (LBO), senior (MBO) and higher (HBO). All of these secondary school courses culminate in written state examinations. The number of subjects varies as do the levels. After passing MAVO examinations, students can transfer to an MBO course, while those who pass their HAVO examinations may be admitted to a HBO course. Students with a VWO school-leaving certificate may apply for admission to a university or institute of higher education. Vocational education courses are available in the following: - agricultural education - commercial education - technical education - social services and health care education - home economics education - tradespeople's education - nautical education Most of these types of vocational education consist of three levels: junior, senior and higher. Students with an LBO or MAVO school-leaving certificate may also take short senior secondary vocational courses, enrol in apprenticeship schemes or follow a senior secondary vocational course for laboratory staff. Many VWO, HAVO, MAVO and LBO schools have joined forces to form combined schools, each with a single board. Within these combined schools all pupils receive the same education for an initial or transitional period, after which they are required to make a definite choice of the type of course they wish to take. Full-time education is compulsory up to the age of 16. Children who leave school at the minimum age are then required by law to attend courses of continued training or education for one or two days a week, depending on the type of education. For the remainder of the week they may have a paid job. Special education Special education exists for children with a physical, mental or social handicap or a combination of any of the three and consists of primary and secondary schools catering for children aged 3 - 21. The aim of special education is to enable children to take part in normal primary or secondary education as quickly as possible. Higher education Higher education comprises higher vocational and university education. The latter is provided at eight universities and five 'hogescholen' (equivalent to universities). Leiden University, founded in 1575 by Prince William of Orange, is the oldest. All the Dutch universities and 'hogescholen' are financed entirely from government funds, irrespective of whether they are state or private foundations. An additional 7 theological colleges are partly financed from state funds. Courses at universities are divided into two phases. The first phase takes 4 years (students may be enrolled for a maximum of 6 years) and concludes with the 'doctoraal' examination. The second phase, to which a relatively limited number of students are admitted, consists of specialised study or research leading to a doctorate. To be admitted to a university or equivalent establishment, students must have obtained a VWO or HBO certificate. Higher vocational education courses are available in the following: - higher commercial education - higher home economics education - higher agricultural education - higher tradespeople's education - higher social work education - higher health care education - higher technical education - education in the arts - teacher training In principle, students with certificates from VWO, HAVO and MBO schools can be admitted to higher vocational education courses which take 4 years. International education A number of educational establishments exist to provide courses for graduates from foreign countries. They are in special subject areas and many of them are in English. A degree from a foreign university is usually required for admission to these courses. Statistics Of the 14.5 million people who live in the Netherlands, 3.5 million are in full-time education. Education is free during the compulsory period, although some schools ask parents to make a financial contribution. All teaching and ancillary staff at publicly-run schools are paid by the state. As a result, the Ministry of Education and Science has the highest budget of any government ministry. The Netherlands spends more than 26 billion guilders a year on education or roughly 17% of the national budget. Adult education Adults, including many housewives, are increasingly interested in courses which were not previously available to them. Special facilities have been or will be created in a large number of municipalities for such people, including the Open School and the Open University.