Systems and Procedures of Certification of Qualifications in the Netherlands. National Report. CEDEFOP Panorama. First Edition.

Overview & Synopsis

This document presents an overview of the systems and procedures in place for certifying vocational qualifications in the Netherlands. Chapter 1 describes the following components of the Dutch education system: primary and special education; first phase of secondary education; second phase of secondary education; higher education; adult education; training for job seekers; training for people in work; and structure of education and training. Detailed in chapter 2 are the existing procedures for assessment and certification of students at the various educational levels and in the various types of postschool training described in chapter 1. Chapter 3 discusses the following parties with an interest in a qualification structure that has been legitimated by the state and by industry: participants; industry (employers, workers, and labor organizations); provider institutions; providers of initial and continuing education; and funding sources. The following functions of assessment and examination are considered in chapter 4: allocation of training and selection of students, qualification of participants, prognosis (identifying potential dropouts and predicting participants' success in specific programs), monitoring standards, and management and control. Chapter 5 is devoted to quality and standards in vocational education and available instruments of quality control. (MN)