Primary education
Primary schools in the Netherlands cater for children aged four to 12. The eight-year primary school curriculum focuses on pupils' emotional, intellectual and creative development along with the acquisition of essential social, cultural and physical skills. Every primary school draws up its own school work plan on the basis of conditions specified by the government. Special schools cater for children with a learning, physical or social disability, providing them with an education and giving them extra care.

Secondary education
Children from the age of 12 are eligible for admission to secondary education, of which there are three types of curriculum:

• pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO)
• senior general secondary education (HAVO)
• pre-university education (VWO)

Most secondary schools provide more than one of these types of education. VMBO takes four years and leads on to secondary vocational education (MBO). HAVO is a five-year programme and leads on to higher professional education (HBO). VWO takes six years and leads on to university (WO). The core curriculum in the first two years of secondary school is more or less the same for all school types. Of all 17-year-olds 95.7% in the Netherlands have currently either completed or are still attending secondary school full time.

Vocational education
The Adult and Vocational Education Act (WEB) of 1996 established regional training centres offering a complete range of adult and vocational education courses. All vocational courses combine work with study. There are two types: vocational training with a practical component of no less than 20% and no more than 60%, and day release schemes with a practical component of at least 60%. Courses are provided at four levels. The regional training centres also provide adult education.

Higher education
Higher education comprises higher professional (HBO) and university education (WO). A bachelor-master degree structure was introduced in 2002. Bachelor's degree courses take three years at university and four years in higher professional education. Graduates with a bachelor's degree can go on to do a master's degree. Master's degree courses take between one and two years, depending on the subject. But it takes three years to get a master's degree in medicine. 19.2% of all 18 to 27-year-olds are currently receiving some form of higher education full time, and 0.8% are part-time students. Once students have graduated, they may specialise or carry out research. The Netherlands has nine general universities, three technological universities and one agricultural university, all with specialised research institutes.

Basic grant
Students aged 18 or older have to pay for their education. Fees for most higher education courses are the same. All students aged 18 or older receive a basic state grant, which they may supplement with a loan. The amount of the loan will depend on the student's income (or that of his/her parents). The student's progress also plays a role. Students aged 18 or older can also apply for a travel pass entitling them to reductions on public transport. Of all 18 to 27-year-olds 19.2% are currently receiving some form of higher education full time, and 0.8% are part-time students. Few Dutch schools, colleges or universities provide accommodation for their students, and there are no dress codes or school uniforms.

Traditional titles
Graduates can choose between a bachelor's/master's title and the traditional titles. Higher professional education graduates may bear the title Ingenieur (Ing) or Baccalaureus (B). Graduates of the technological universities bear the title Ingenieur (Ir), those graduating in law bear the title Meester (Mr), and all other university graduates bear the title Doctorandus (Drs). University graduates may instead choose to bear the title Master (M). Graduates obtaining a doctorate may use the title doctor (Dr). All these titles are specified and protected by law.

Adult education
Adult education encompasses most of the types of education described above. Adults may attend part-time or full-time courses, during the day or in the evening. The Open University, with its wide variety of programmes, plays a special part in adult education International education For children receiving part of their primary or secondary education abroad (for instance because their parents work abroad), there are schools where the whole curriculum is taught in English, culminating in the International Baccalaureate certificate. The Netherlands also has ten institutes of higher education offering specialist programmes to foreign postgraduate students in English and occasionally in French or Spanish.

Research
The objective of science and research policy is to maintain an effective, high-quality knowledge infrastructure in the Netherlands. In addition to regular research investment, the government spent more than 200 million euros up to 2002 on 12 promising projects involving cooperation between the public and private sectors. Although the Minister of Education, Culture and Science coordinates science and research policy, the other ministers are responsible for this policy within their own domains. Research institutes, which are usually attached to universities, receive funding from the government, but they may also apply for grants from funds managed by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). They may also earn money by providing courses or carrying out contract research for business.