When I was planning my move to Eindhoven in the Netherlands, my son was 12 and had done a year at secondary school in the United Kingdom. We heard about the Dutch system Eerste Opvang voor Anderstaligen, or EOA, which means first admission for non-native speakers.
This is an arrangement where certain schools provide schooling with a focus on learning the Dutch language intensively. Students usually attend for a year or so, until they are proficient enough (NT2 level) with their Dutch, and then they can move to a regular Dutch school.
Pros and cons
Prior to our move, we discussed this option with a senior member of staff from the local EOA, who advised us of the pros and cons. The pros being he would learn the Dutch language quickly and be able to transition to a Dutch state school that provides free education. The cons being that the intermediary year, whilst focusing intensively on the Dutch language, may not cover other areas of the curriculum as much, and it was likely that the year would need to be repeated on his move to a regular school, putting him one year behind his age group.
The other con was that although students can pick up Dutch quickly, they will most likely not be as developed in their proficiency as in their native language, putting them at a disadvantage in the Dutch examinations, which would then influence if they were placed on the university track or not.
It was this factor that for us meant we took the decision to put my son, who had been doing well at school in the UK, into the international school. We were lucky that Eindhoven had one, a bikeable distance from our home. This is one of a number of international schools in the Netherlands offering the International Baccalaureate, which is a well-known and respected international qualification that is recognised by universities.
The international schools are fee-paying, with fees of about 7,000-to-8,000 euros per school year for the secondary school. Not a problem if you are lucky enough to have this funded by your employer as part of an international move, which I was not.
However, the fees are much less than a private school in the UK, which is a fair comparison.
Designed for internationals
We visited the school and were put at ease. The nature of international schools is that they are used to children coming and going, following expat parents that may have a few years in each assigned country. This means that they are set up for that, and the culture is one that new students are supported well, being assigned a buddy when they first arrive.
My son, now in his final year, has been happy at the International School Eindhoven, or ISE, and has thrived there. He joined a sports team (football) and has taken part in tournaments across Europe, has debated in Model United Nations debates, and got to record his own musical compositions in a professional recording studio as part of a project.
For me, it has been interesting trying to get my head around a different school system to what I am used to in the UK, being unfamiliar with the grading and exam setup. It certainly has not been an issue for my son, however, who reassures me that he knows exactly what he’s meant to be doing with regard to study deadlines and exam revision.
The Dutch option
Although our experience has been a positive one, it is worth noting that we have friends that have gone the other route, putting their four children into the Dutch schooling system, moving here when their oldest was 13. The children are now all fully fluent in Dutch, and I can see my friend’s family has better been able to integrate into Dutch culture.
Their oldest sailed through the Dutch EOA system in five months before she was able to move to a Dutch school, which still made her repeat the year. Overall, she has had no disadvantage to her progress, as she was placed on the university track (Dutch schools’ separate children age 14 into one of three ’tracks’ depending on their academic ability) and is now applying for university places.
So, there is no right or wrong way; it’s simply a question of what is right for that particular child and their situation.
For my son, attending an international school in the Netherlands with students from all over the world and an internationally focused curriculum has extended his world view and been a positive experience, and he will be leaving well prepared to head off to university.
Links:
The EOA is run by Stedelijke College in Eindhoven.
You can find out about the International Baccalaureate here.
School’s website: International School Eindhoven
Rachel Arts
Rachel Arts originally is from the UK but relocated to Eindhoven in 2019 with her husband. Rachel is an entrepreneur. Her business, Talentstorm, draws on her 20-plus years in corporate learning to help develop individuals and organisations. Rachel writes about her start-up life at rachelsround-up.com.
