What education do they have in Holland?

Answer 1

In the Netherlands they have first primary school. Then when most kids are 12 years old they go to high school. High school in the Netherlands is divided into 3 main parts:

• VWO (higher education) (6 years)
• havo ('middle' education) (5 years)
• vmbo ('lower' education) (4 years)

After that they can go to college or something.

Answer 2

The education here in the Netherlands could be really complicated. let's start with the basics:

We have 5 different types of schools, ranged from low to high level:

• Elementary school
• Secondary school
• MBO
• High school, also called HBO
• University

Every kid starts in the elementary school, this is where they learn to read, spell, calculate and basic knowledge about geographic, history, Biology and English.

During their last grade in elementary school every kid has to do the so called 'entreetoets' this is a test that decides what kind of level of education you will do on the secondary school.

On the secondary school there are 3 main levels of education, also from low to high level:

• VMBO, 4 years: The basics needed for work with very few responsibilities.
• HAVO, 5 years: Here you learn more and need to be able to practise the learned things in other situations.
• VWO, 6 years: Here you have to take 1 or 2 extra languages and requires a lot of insight.

All of the above levels of education are divided in 2 stages, the so called 'onderbouw' and 'bovenbouw'. For VMBO the 'bovenbouw' starts in the 3th year and for HAVO and VWO it starts in the 4th year.

In the 'onderbouw' you get all the courses: Netherlands, English, French, German, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Art, PE, Religions. The tests are planned throughout the lessons.

For the 'bovenbouw' the student has to choose a 'profile'. The profiles are combinations of certain courses that one will need to work as an economic, farmer, businessman, biologist, doctor and so on.

To graduate from secondary school, the student will need to participate in exams. This is divided into 2 sorts of exams. The so called 'schoolexam', which will be taken by the school, and the state exam which all the students in the Netherlands do at the same time.

After graduating there are certain paths you can take:

• VMBO graduates can do an MBO study.
• HAVO graduates can do an HBO or MBO study.
• VWO graduates can go to University, HBO or MBO study.

MBO, contains studies for work that is more practical.

for example: construction workers and nurses.

HBO, contains studies that are practical and requires thinking.

for example: Designing advertisements, work as economic for big companies.

University, contains studies that needs a lot of thinking.

for example. Doctors, criminology, sciences.

HBO contains associate degrees, masters and bachelors.

University contains masters, bachelors and post academic.

After you graduate from one of those you can go find a job of you can choose to take it a step higher and do another study on the same or a higher level.

Sorry for the long story, but it's a complicated system here.