Compulsory Education

The BES Compulsory Education Act stipulates that a child is required to attend school regularly.

The BES Compulsory Education Act stipulates that children are required to attend school regularly. The provisions of this law apply to children between the ages of 4 and 18 and have been in effect since January 1, 2011.

The Act sets forth all obligations and rules regarding the responsibilities of parents/guardians, such as:

• Enrolling children in school
• Ensuring that children attend school every day

All schools have received a handbook regarding elementary and secondary education that covers topics such as:

• compulsory education;
• enrollment and withdrawal from schools;
• suspension and expulsion of students;
• exceptions;
• when an exemption from the obligation is possible, and;
• what rules apply regarding truancy.

The law takes effect when a child reaches the age of four (4) and ends when the young person turns 18 or at the end of the school year in which the young person has earned at least an MBO Level 2 diploma, a HAVO/VWO diploma, or an equivalent diploma recognized by the Minister of Education.