Youth in school until 18

Young people who have not yet earned a diploma will be required to attend school until the age of 18, starting next school year. The cabinet hopes that extending the school attendance requirement by two years will help reduce the number of drop outs. Broad support for the measure emerged in the Senate on Tuesday.

Currently young people are still technically required to attend school at least two days a week after turning 16, but many of them fail to do so. The new measure would not only require that they attend school, but that they obtain either a level two certificate from senior vocational education (MBO) or a diploma from a senior general secondary education (HAVO) or university prep (VWO) programme.

The drop out rate is highest among 16 and 17-year-olds. The cabinet hopes that extending the mandatory school attendance period and introducing this “qualification requirement” for this group will result in 19,000 extra students obtaining a diploma.

The Netherlands would reportedly be the first country in the world to require children to attend school until the age of 18 and obtain a diploma. 16 and 17-year-olds would be allowed to combine study with work however.

Studies show that young people without a diploma are three times more likely to end up unemployed.

In addition to this measure, the cabinet also plans to invest more in education. It has set aside a total of EUR 1 billion.

Source: Expatica Netherlands, 23 May 2007