Education system and curriculum

1. Upper secondary education vmbo

The Secondary Education Act (WVO) specifies the subjects to be studied by VMBO pupils during the four-year course. At the end of the second year at the earliest pupils opt for a particular sector and learning pathway. Each sector and each learning pathway has its own curriculum. VMBO was introduced in the 1999/2000 school year.

Sectors

• engineering and technology

• care and welfare

• business

• agriculture

Learning pathway

• the theoretical programme (junior general secondary education )
• combined programme (junior general secondary education )
• middle-management vocational programme (pre-vocational education)
• basic vocational programme (pre-vocational education)

Each subject combination comprises:

• a common component;
• an optional component;
• and a sector-specific component comprising the following subjects:

Engineering and technology	mathematics and physics and chemistry I
Care and welfare	biology and either mathematics or social studies II
Business	economics and one of mathematics, French or German
Agriculture	mathematics and either biology or physics & chemistry I

The exam syllabus for each subject is approved by the Minister.

2. Upper secondary education havo/vwo (including gymnasium)

Subject combinations

From 1 August 1998 the number of periods taught in the second stage of HAVO and VWO have been based on study load. This system replaced the old system of tables showing the recommended number of periods, which was not designed to cope with the introduction of four subject combinations. The total number of hours’ teaching for HAVO and VWO in upper secondary courses have to be based on the study load for the upper years (years 4 and 5 for HAVO and years 4, 5 and 6 for VWO). The study load system is based on the time required by the average pupil to master a particular quantity of material. The total study load is calculated as 1,600 hours per year (40 weeks of 40 hours), at least 1,040 hours of which should consist of teaching during school time.

Subject combinations

Each subject combination comprises:

• a common component;
• a sector-specific component with some choices

The subject combinations are:

• Science and Technology
• Science and Health
• Economics and Society
• Culture and Society

The exam syllabus for each subject is approved by the Minister of Education.

See havo and vwo for a detailed programm

• Natuur en Techniek = Science and Technology
• Natuur en gezondheid = Science and Health
• Economie en maatschappij = Economics and Society
• Cultuur en Maatschappij Culture and Society
  
• Profielcombinatie = Combination of two subject combinations

More statistics

HAVO curriculum

The standard study load for the 4th and 5th years of HAVO combined amounts to 3200. These hours are based on the time required by the average pupil. Unlike the recommended timetable for basic secondary education where each “hour” equates with a teaching period of 50 minutes, these hours are “real” hours, i.e. 60 minutes. The study load per subject is shown in this excel sheet.

VWO curriculum (including gymnasium)

The standard study load for the 4th, 5th and 6th years of VWO combined amounts to 4800. These hours are based on the time required by the average pupil. Unlike the recommended timetable for basic secondary education where each“hour” equates with a teaching period of 50 minutes, these hours are “real” hours, i.e. 60 minutes. The study load per subject is shown in this excel sheet.

See also this document