The Dutch education system (onderwijssysteem) is known for early tracking and school choice. After basisschool (primary school, ages 4-12), students take the CITO toets (standardised test) and teacher advice determines secondary school track. The tracks are: vmbo (4 years, vocational preparation), havo (5 years, higher general), and vwo/gymnasium/lyceum (6 years, pre-university). This early selection is sometimes criticised but reflects Dutch pragmatism about different paths.
Secondary school vocabulary: het rapport (report card), het eindexamen (final exam — a national standardised examination), het diploma (diploma), de mentorles (form period/pastoral class), de schoolgids (school handbook), de ouderavond (parent evening), de leraar/lerares (teacher — male/female), het schoolplein (school yard), de bibliotheek (library), het lokaal (classroom). Dutch secondary schools have significant student autonomy — skipping classes (spijbelen) is a word every student knows.
Higher education: hbo (hoger beroepsonderwijs — polytechnic/university of applied sciences) and wo (wetenschappelijk onderwijs — research university). Famous Dutch universities include Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA), Leiden University (oldest in the Netherlands, founded 1575), TU Delft (technology), and Wageningen University (agriculture). Tuition (collegegeld) is regulated and relatively affordable compared to UK/US. The Netherlands is an attractive destination for international students — a quarter of all courses at major universities are taught in English.