Address
Eurydice Unit
Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills
Fortunen 1
5013 Bergen
P.O. Box 1093
NO-5809 Bergen
Tel: +47 22 249 090
E-Mail:eurydice@hkdir.no
Website: https://hkdir.no/eurydice
Address
Eurydice Unit
Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills
Fortunen 1
5013 Bergen
P.O. Box 1093
NO-5809 Bergen
Tel: +47 22 249 090
E-Mail:eurydice@hkdir.no
Website: https://hkdir.no/eurydice
2026
New framework for content and structure in upper secondary education
Address
Eurydice Unit
Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills
Fortunen 1
5013 Bergen
P.O. Box 1093
NO-5809 Bergen
Tel: +47 22 249 090
E-Mail:eurydice@hkdir.no
Website: https://hkdir.no/eurydice
This chapter provides a thematic and chronological overview of national reforms and policy developments since 2023. The web pages that follow group reforms in the following broad thematic areas:
Early childhood education and care
General school education
Vocational education and training
Higher education
Address
Eurydice Unit
Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills
Fortunen 1
5013 Bergen
P.O. Box 1093
NO-5809 Bergen
Tel: +47 22 249 090
E-Mail:eurydice@hkdir.no
Website: https://hkdir.no/eurydice
Administration governance at the central and/or regional level
The state bears the overall responsibility for the Kindergarten Act and the Education Act with regulations, contents and financing.
Address
Eurydice Nederland
Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap/Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Directie Internationaal Beleid/Department for International Policy
Rijnstraat 50
Postbus 16375
NL-2500 BJ Den Haag
Tel: +31 (0) 6 25 73 50 88
E-Mail: eurydice@minocw.nl
Website
www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ministerie-van-onderwijs-cultuur-en-wetenschap
Key features of the Dutch Education System
- 8 years of primary education (age 4 – 12)
- compulsory education: starts age 5, ends age 18
- selection at age 12
- highly diversified lower secondary education
- two out of six streams lead to higher education
- four out of six streams lead to upper vocational education
- several routes through system
Address
Eurydice Nederland
Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap/Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Directie Internationaal Beleid/Department for International Policy
Rijnstraat 50
Postbus 16375
NL-2500 BJ Den Haag
Tel: +31 (0) 6 25 73 50 88
E-Mail: eurydice@minocw.nl
Website
www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ministerie-van-onderwijs-cultuur-en-wetenschap
2026
No recent reforms and policy developments.
2025
No recent reforms and policy developments.
2024
No recent reforms and policy developments.
Address
Eurydice Nederland
Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap/Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Directie Internationaal Beleid/Department for International Policy
Rijnstraat 50
Postbus 16375
NL-2500 BJ Den Haag
Tel: +31 (0) 6 25 73 50 88
E-Mail: eurydice@minocw.nl
Website
www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ministerie-van-onderwijs-cultuur-en-wetenschap
2026
New tool helps Caribbean students prepare for studying in the Netherlands
Address
Eurydice Nederland
Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap/Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Directie Internationaal Beleid/Department for International Policy
Rijnstraat 50
Postbus 16375
NL-2500 BJ Den Haag
Tel: +31 (0) 6 25 73 50 88
E-Mail: eurydice@minocw.nl
Website
www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ministerie-van-onderwijs-cultuur-en-wetenschap
2026
Ministries launch trainee programme for vocational education graduates (MBO)
Address
Eurydice Nederland
Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap/Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Directie Internationaal Beleid/Department for International Policy
Rijnstraat 50
Postbus 16375
NL-2500 BJ Den Haag
Tel: +31 (0) 6 25 73 50 88
E-Mail: eurydice@minocw.nl
Website
www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ministerie-van-onderwijs-cultuur-en-wetenschap
2026
A sustainable future for the school library
Address
Eurydice Nederland
Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap/Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Directie Internationaal Beleid/Department for International Policy
Rijnstraat 50
Postbus 16375
NL-2500 BJ Den Haag
Tel: +31 (0) 6 25 73 50 88
E-Mail: eurydice@minocw.nl
Website
www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ministerie-van-onderwijs-cultuur-en-wetenschap
2026
Expansion of regulations to combat staff shortages in childcare
Since 2022, nurseries and after-school care centres have been allowed to fill half of their professional staff positions with trainees. Previously, this was one-third. This was a temporary expansion of the rules to reduce staff shortages in childcare and ease the workload. The State Secretary of Participation and Integration now wants to make this expansion permanent. The new rules will come into force on 1 July 2026.