Month: January 2018

I want my children to learn Dutch. How can I arrange that?

Posted on by Elizabeth Carrion

Because of the stage of their brain development, children usually find it easier to learn a new language than adults. However, there is a misconception that children will effortlessly pick up a new language. Developing the linguistic skills of their parent’s mother tongue and simultaneously learning a new language, such as Dutch, requires the conscious effort, reinforcement, and support of the parents, teachers, and family members.

There are several ways to enable your children to learn Dutch:

  • Send them to a Dutch language training club such as the Dutch club at basisclub.nl/basisclub/en/  or visit Dutchforchildren.nl
  • An increasing number of schools provides bilingual lessons. Most of them are secondary schools. There has been a successful experiment with bilingual education in primary schools from 2014 to summer 2023. Therefore, the government has decided that primary schools are allowed to offer bilingual education up to maximum 15% of the time. Schools can choose between English, French and German. It is important to note that this is primarily meant for Dutch children who want to learn more English, French or German and not the other way around.
  • If your child attends day-care or a playgroup, you might consider a Dutch group. In this way children will learn Dutch while they are playing
  • Use of internet, special computer programmes and Dutch television

If you want your child to attend a Dutch school, some of them offer special courses for newly-arrived foreign children who speak very little or no Dutch. Find more information about opvangscholen (reception schools) in the Education FAQs section.

Most of the international schools in the Netherlands now have learning Dutch as part of their course curriculum. As there is often a wide spectrum of abilities in speaking Dutch in these schools, the approach that is sometimes taken is to arrange classes for the children by proficiency rather than age, or for older children by their ability level within a year grouping.

Do I need to deregister with the municipality before I leave the Netherlands?

Posted on by Elizabeth Carrion

For EU/EEA or Switzerland and non-EU citizen

When you first arrived in the Netherlands, you were obliged to register with the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP) ( municipality’s personal records database) of your city or town of residence. Similarly, when you leave the Netherlands, you must deregister. This is important as the gemeente (municipality) will need to remove your personal details at the same location. The municipality will also be obliged to inform other government authorities of your departure.

The first step is to report your intended departure to the stadhuis (town hall). You are advised to check with your municipality about the required notice period for notifying them that you intend to leave the country. The notice period may vary from one municipality to another. For the The Hague municipality, you are required to deregister yourself and/or other members of the family no more than five days in advance of your leaving date. One adult member can deregister the whole family. This can be done in person or in writing. The municipality will then update your details. However, if not all the family members that reside at one address are moving abroad, then everyone who is leaving the Netherlands (including children 16 years of age or older) must appear in person at the municipality’s Department of Public Service counter to report their move.

If you intend to visit your town hall in person, you will need to bring your passport or other valid proof of identity. You will probably be asked to give your current address as well as your future forwarding address. The deregistration process may vary slightly from one municipality to another. Some municipalities may ask you to complete a form notifying them of your imminent departure prior to visiting the town hall.

If all family members are leaving the country, you may have the option to inform the hall town in writing. For the Den Haag municipality, a letter can be sent which contains the following information:

  • Your old and new addresses
  • List of names of all your family members
  • The date of departure
  • Signature
  • You must also supply a copy of your proof of identity with the letter

Once you have deregistered from the BRP as a resident, your personal data will move to the non-residents part of the BRP, the Non-residents Records Database (RNI). This is for people who do not live in the Netherlands anymore, or who live in the Netherlands for less than 4 months. You can ask for a proof that you deregistered. You can apply for this proof from one of the following RNI-municipalities with a Non-residents Records Database:

• Alkmaar
• Almelo
• Amsterdam
• Breda
• Doetinchem
• Eindhoven
• Goes
• Groningen
• The Hague
• Heerlen
• Leeuwarden
• Leiden
• Nijmegen
• Rotterdam
• Terneuzen
• Utrecht
• Venlo
• Westland
• Zwolle

The international extract is available in Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, French, German and English.

If you have a Dutch residence permit and are leaving the country on a permanent basis, then you must return your residence permit as follows:

  • either at the airport ID checkpoint in the Netherlands
  • or by post to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst – IND)

Note that the residence permit is state property and thus it is your personal responsibility to ensure that it is returned as part of the deregistration process. Find the address of return and more information about this matter here.

It is advised that when returning your residence permit by post, you send it with a short accompanying letter and make a copy of both the front and back of the card for your future reference.

When you deregister with the municipality they will notify all the other governmental institutions like the UWV, SVB, kinderbijslag, etc.

For commercial services such as utilities, you will need to notify them. If you cancel your parking permit before the end of its validity period, you could be eligible to claim some money back, for this you need to cancel the parking yourself. Keep in mind it can take up to six weeks before you get your money back, so you may need to keep a bank account open for this period.

Diplomats, consular officials and employees of an international organisation

At the start of your assignment, you will have been registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken – BZ). Similarly, on departure you must deregister with the Protocol Department. When the posting of a privileged person comes to an end, the employer (embassy or international organisation) should send a ‘note verbale’ to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, informing them that the posting of the person and/or of members of his family has come to an end. The ‘note verbale’ also informs the Ministry of Foreign Affair whether or not the person(s) is(are) departing from the Netherlands. The BZ ID card(s) should also be returned with the ‘note verbale’.

What skills will I be tested on during the integration examination?

Posted on by Elizabeth Carrion

There are four categories for the exams, broken into six individual exams. You do not have to do all six exams on the same day. It can be less stressfull and give you more confidence if you space the exams over a period of days/weeks. If you pass all exams, you will receive the integration diploma.

You will have to do a participation statement before taking the integration exams. This is a small course in which you will become acquainted with the rights, obligations and the fundamental values of Dutch society. Before you start your exams, you will receive an email from DUO ( education executive agency) identifying a person at the gemeente (municipality) to help with your participation statement. The course concludes with participants signing a declaration of participation declaring that they have been informed of, and will respect, the values and basic rules of Dutch society. Should you refuse to sign it, you will receive a penalty . If you have further questions or if you do not get assigned a person we suggest you to contact your gemeente.

Once you have signed your participation statement, you can take the integration exams. These are:

Examination 1 – Reading, listening and speaking skills

These are three individual exams, which are booked separately.

  • Reading the Dutch Language – You are required to read short passages of text and answer questions about each passage. The exam takes 50 minutes
  • Listening and understanding the Dutch Language – You are asked questions about videos that you are shown on the computer and you listen to spoken text. The exam takes 45 minutes
  • Speaking Dutch – In the exam, you are asked to view videos on a computer and provide verbal answers to questions. The exam takes 35 minutes

Examination 2 – Writing skills

In this exam, you must write your answers on paper. The aim of the exam is to demonstrate that you are able to write in Dutch. You will be asked to write some short letters and fill in a form. The exam takes 35 minutes

Examination 3 – Kennis Nederlandse Maatschappij (knowledge of Dutch society)

You will be asked questions about the Netherlands. For example, about finding work or renting a house or about schools in the Netherlands.
During the examination you are shown some short videos on the computer. Each video will show a typical situation in the Netherlands. After each video, you are required to answer multiple-choice questions. The exam takes 45 minutes.

Examination 4 – Oriëntatie nederlandse arbeidsmarkt (orientation on the Dutch labour market)

It is about working and looking for work in the Netherlands. You are required to undertake various assignments at home or at school. After each assignment you must send a results card back to DUO. From the results cards, DUO will assess whether you completed your assignments to the required standard. You will then be asked to have an oral examination with a person from DUO in which you will be asked questions to test your understanding of the Dutch labour market. This exam will take about 40 minutes. There is no practice exam available for this final exam.

You can find more information about the integration examination on the website of the government.

Are there any facilities for students with special needs (disability, chronic illness)?

Posted on by Elizabeth Carrion

Whether you have ADHD, dyslexia, need a wheelchair or have another kind of special need, studying is still possible. All research universities and universities of applied science have facilities available for you. It is best to discuss your needs with the university. Together you can decide what is necessary for you to be able to study.

What is the most effective way for me to learn Dutch? I am not a natural linguist, so I might find it hard to learn Dutch.

Posted on by Elizabeth Carrion

Whilst it should be remembered that every person’s learning style is different and that their personal circumstances may dictate how much time they can spend each week on learning Dutch, the general consensus of opinion is that the best way to improve quickly is by attending an intensive course of two or more lessons per week with additional homework.

It is important that you feel comfortable with your learning surroundings. Therefore, you may prefer to attend a course given in a classroom with other students, rather than having one-to-one tuition. Alternatively, you may wish to begin with some free online learning courses to gain confidence and hear accents, before you move to the classroom situation.

On www.studyinholland.nl/life-in-holland/start-learning-dutch you can find a selection of institutes that offer lessons to learn the basics of Dutch.

Once you have mastered the basics of the Dutch language and have gained confidence in speaking, you may wish to consider finding local Dutch people who would be willing to talk with you for practice. There are websites where you can search to find a native speaking Dutch person who is also interested in learning/practising English or your native language. Check Conversationexchange.com or Mylanguageexchange.com. Public libraries often also offer opportunities to speak Dutch on a regular basis in a taalcafe ( language cafe) and advise you about how to learn Dutch. Check with your local library to find out what they offer.

You should be aware that just because you have found someone who is willing to speak Dutch with you, it does not necessarily mean that they are a good teacher of the Dutch language. You may find you learn new words (slang) that can be very useful in day-to-day interactions but may not be grammatically correct.

I have a 14 year old daughter who is coming to live with me in the Netherlands. She does not speak any Dutch. Therefore, can you recommend a Dutch state school where my daughter can learn the language as well as being taught the normal academic subjects?

Posted on by Elizabeth Carrion

From 12 years of age, Dutch children normally choose from more vocationally-based training to pre-university diplomas depending on their academic ability.  The lessons are given in Dutch.

After registering with the municipality in which they live, those children who meet the following criteria are usually required to attend ‘bridging’ schools known as Internationale Schakelklas – ISK:

  • Have lived in the Netherlands for less than two years
  • Need tuition to become competent in speaking the Dutch language
  • Are between the ages of 12 and 18

Children will  be assessed for their linguistic skills in the Dutch language before they are allowed to enrol in an ISK school. There are ISK schools located throughout the Netherlands. There is no list of ISK’s . Best is to check with your municipality.

The ISK schools prepare pupils for intake into secondary education or vocational education, depending on the age of the students. These schools teach children as much Dutch as possible, so that the children can learn to the same level of academic ability in the Netherlands as they would in their home country. At the ISK schools the teenage children will be given dedicated lessons to learn Dutch for approximately 16 to 20 hours per week.

In addition to the teaching of other academic subjects such as mathematics, geography, history and economics, art and culture, the ISK schools also provide additional support for the students. This support is often in the form of a dedicated mentor and access to other specialised services, for example a speech therapist for those children who experience difficulty in pronunciation of the Dutch language.

Depending on their age and ability in mastering the Dutch language, children will typically spend between 0.5 to 3 years attending an ISK school before transferring to the mainstream Dutch educational system.

I want to raise my children bilingually. Are there any Dutch schools that teach (partly) in English?

Posted on by Elizabeth Carrion

There are an increasing number of schools providing bilingual lessons. Most of them are secondary schools. In the Netherlands,  Tweetalig Onderwijs – TTO (bilingual education) came into existence in 1989. In most cases, TTO refers to bilingual (mostly English-Dutch) and  Voorbereidend  Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs – VWO, where this is the pre-university stream in Dutch secondary education.

In the TTO schools, a wide variety of subjects such as history, geography, math, physics, biology, chemistry, economics, IT, arts and music are taught in English. Bilingual lessons are taught over the preceding six years leading up to university entrance. Whilst in the last three years, students will focus upon the academic subjects that they will be examined on (in Dutch), some of the lessons will still be provided in English. Bilingual students also have the opportunity to sit the internationally recognised International Baccalaureate (IB) English Certificate. A successful result qualifies these students to enrol at English-speaking universities.

The aim of bilingual education is to prepare students for an increasingly global environment. Hence, whilst foreign language skills are important, the lessons are taught in a broad, internationally oriented context.

It should be noted that the Dutch bilingual school system has been set up with the emphasis upon native speaking Dutch children becoming competent in speaking English as their second language rather than vice versa.

What are the principle aims of Dutch primary school education and what subjects will my child be taught?

Posted on by Elizabeth Carrion

The Dutch government has set kerndoelen (attainment targets) which define what children are expected to have acquired in the way of knowledge, understanding and skills by the end of primary school. Whilst these attainment targets describe in general terms the skills and knowledge a child must have acquired, the referentieniveaus (benchmark levels) for mathematics and language specifically prescribe the degree of proficiency that a child must attain in any given year of schooling.

The core curriculum for all basisscholen (primary schools) must include the following subjects:

  • Dutch
  • English (from group 7 on- 10/11 years years old)
  • Arithmetic and mathematics
  • Social and environmental studies (including, for instance, geography, history, science – including biology, citizenship, social and life skills – including road safety, healthy living, social structures – including political studies, and religious and ideological movements)
  • Creative expression (including, for instance, music, drawing and handicrafts)
  • Sports and movement.

Schools are free to offer other subjects such as French, German or religious studies, but these subjects are not required by law.

I am planning to stay here for a long time. Should I send my children to a Dutch or an international school?

Posted on by Elizabeth Carrion

If you are planning to stay here for a long time, a Dutch school could be an option, depending on the age of your children. If your children have previously attended a school in another country and are used to lessons in English, or if you anticipate that your children will return to another country’s educational system in the future, it might be in the best interests of your children to go to a Dutch international school (subsidised by the Dutch government) or an international school here in the Netherlands.

However, if your child is at the beginning of primary school, a Dutch school might be an option. Some of them offer special courses to learn Dutch for newly-arrived foreign children ages 6-11 at the opvangscholen (reception schools). These are ordinary basisscholen (primary schools) with a special class for learning Dutch: the reception group. Every week they are taught to speak, comprehend, read and write Dutch by someone who is experienced in teaching foreign children. When children are not attending lessons in the special reception group, they attend regular classes at the school for subjects such as math, history, science, arts and crafts, etc. You can find such a primary school on https://www.lowan.nl/po/scholen/  (Dutch only). Keep in mind that if you are looking for a school in The Hague to search for “Den Haag” (in Dutch).

Children from 12 years of age are usually required to attend Internationale Schakelklas – ISK (bridging schools). Children will usually be assessed for their linguistic skills in the Dutch language before they are allowed to enrol in an ISK school. Depending on their age and ability in mastering the Dutch language, children will typically spend between 1.5 to 2 years attending an ISK school before transferring to the mainstream Dutch educational system. You can find such a secondary school on https://www.lowan.nl/vo/scholen/  (Dutch only). Keep in mind that if you are looking for a school in The Hague to search for “Den Haag” (in Dutch).

The following website https://utesinternationallounge.com/dutch-education-explained-by-genoveva-geppaart/  provides you with an overview of Dutch education.

If I send my children to an international school, what kind of diploma will they have when they have finished secondary school?

Posted on by Elizabeth Carrion

Some programme/diploma/exam options are international in nature. Others are more closely aligned to a particular country. In certain instances, students may opt for two diplomas (the school’s diploma and an external diploma). Many options may qualify students to pursue tertiary education in the Netherlands or abroad (The IB diplomas – IBDP and IBCP – are globally recognised as providing the student with a well-balanced pre-university education). At the age of 16, students can be admitted onto the following options:

  • IBDP – International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (full diploma programme or individual courses/certificates)
  • IBCP – International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme
  • EB – European Baccalaureate
  • English A-Levels
  • APID – Advanced Placement International Diploma (originated in the United States; full diploma programme or individual courses)
  • A school’s/country’s own programme/diploma/exam options/graduation requirements
  • A school’s own programme/diploma/exam options/graduation requirements plus full or partial IBDP or APID

Can you give me some key insights into Dutch business culture?

Posted on by Elizabeth Carrion

The Netherlands has a formal business culture in which honesty, efficiency, productivity and courtesy are highly valued. Expatriates from some cultures may find the Dutch businesspersons direct, blunt and not what they may be used to. Most decisions and agreements are made in open meetings rather than behind closed doors. Contacts and networks are important and you should try to arrange introductions through a third party. Find below additional information:

  • Appointments should be made well in advance. Normal business hours are 09:00 to 17:00, Mondays to Fridays, although many workers start and finish earlier. Always turn up on time, as punctuality is expected
  • Conducting business affairs over lunch is unusual in the Netherlands. Lunch is usually a quick snack, where most office workers bring their own sandwiches from home
  • Normal business attire varies considerably between industries. Unless you are aware that informal dress is the norm in your business area, wear a conservative suit for interviews and meetings
  • People should be addressed by their personal or professional titles with family names, unless you are invited to use first names. Academic titles are not normally used in speech
  • Team structures tend to be flat, without much hierarchy, despite different levels of pay scales and responsibility
  • Respect is gained through speaking one’s mind and being direct, thus avoiding wasting time. This directness of approach can sometimes be misconstrued as aggression or even rudeness but it is a tool for enabling the meeting to efficiently reach an agreed solution
  • The Dutch can have some antipathy towards those who use pre-meeting lobbying techniques in order to arrive at group position to expound in the meeting. This pre-meeting lobbying, endemic in many cultures, can be seen as devious and underhanded and lead to accusations of ‘hidden agendas’ and inflexibility
  • There is a relatively strong separation made between work and private life
  • Colleagues do not tend to socialise very much immediately after work, and most do not invite business guests into their family life at all

The ACCESS trainers network also provides Dutch culture training. Other websites such as ExpatFocus.com or Interculturalprofessionals.com can also provide you with information and consultancy services about Dutch business culture.