Compulsory education

Children are subject to compulsory education from 5 to 16 years of age

Many children start elementary school at age 4. They are not yet required to attend school at that age. Compulsory education begins on the first school day of the month following the child’s 5th birthday and ends at the end of the school year in which the child turns 16.

Young people are required to qualify from 16 to 18 years of age

After the school year in which the young person turns 16, they are required to pursue a qualification until they have obtained a basic qualification. A basic qualification is a diploma from HAVO, VWO, MBO level 2, or higher. The compulsory education requirement applies until the student’s^18thbirthday.
The compulsory education requirement does not apply to students attending vocational education (Praktijkonderwijs) or special secondary education (Voortgezet Speciaal Onderwijs) with a day-care or labor market-oriented program.

Sometimes circumstances or problems can lead to truancy or even dropping out of school. In such cases, the truancy officer supports and guides children, young people, and their parents or guardians to help them find their way back to school.

Young people between the ages of 18 and 27

Young people between the ages of 18 and 27 are no longer subject to the Compulsory Education Act. Nevertheless, it is important that these young people also leave school with a basic qualification. A basic qualification improves their prospects in the job market. In our region, schools and municipalities work together with the Doorstroompunt (DSP).

A counselor at the Doorstroompunt can help you find a suitable training program, job, or meaningful way to spend your day. Feel free to contact them! You can find theircontact information on the websitelerenwerkt.nu .

Permitted absences

In some situations, attending school is temporarily not possible. For example, when a student is sick. In cases of prolonged or frequent absences due to illness, the school may seek assistance from a GGD school health officer. If the GGD school health officer determines that a student is medically capable of following the curriculum but is not doing so in practice, the school may involve the truancy officer. 

Unauthorized absence

When a student is enrolled in a school but does not attend it regularly, we speak of unauthorized absenteeism. Truancy and tardiness are also included here.

The truancy officer works with schools to prevent absenteeism as much as possible. Schools are required to report unauthorized absences to the truancy officer. The truancy officer investigates the cause of the absenteeism and determines what is needed for the student to return to school. Sometimes a meeting at school or with the truancy officer is sufficient. In other cases, there is more to the situation. In such cases, the truancy officer may call upon the neighborhood social teams to support the child or young person and/or the parent(s)/guardian(s). In exceptional cases, young people (aged 12 and older) may be referred to Halt, or a formal report may be filed against the young person and/or the parent(s)/guardian(s). 

Luxury absenteeism

We speak of luxury absenteeism when a student goes on vacation outside the school vacations without the permission of the school principal. The school must also always report this absence to the school attendance officer. In the case of luxury absenteeism, an official report may be drawn up. 

Exemption from regular school attendance and compulsory enrollment

In a number of cases, it is possible to claim exemption from regular school attendance and exemption from compulsory enrollment in a school.

Exemption from regular school attendance

When a child turns 5, they must attend school. Sometimes a full school week is still too much for a child. Under Article 11a, the child may stay home for 5 hours a week. This is permitted until the child turns 6. No permission is required for this. However, it must be reported to the school principal.
Does a child need even more rest? Then there is the option to request 5 additional hours off. This is permitted until the child turns 6. Permission for this can be requested from the school principal. In total, it may not exceed 10 hours per week.

Exemption from the requirement to enroll in school

• Article 5 under a: The child or young person is unable to attend education for physical or psychological reasons.
• Article 5(b); Parent(s)/guardian(s) have reservations about the direction of education at all schools located within reasonable distance of the home.
• Article 5(c): The child or young person is enrolled at a school abroad and attends it regularly.
• Article 5a: Parent(s)/caregiver(s) and the child or adolescent have a migratory relationship.

To be eligible for one of these exemptions, parents or guardians must submit a request for exemption. The form can be requested from the LerenWerkt administration at info@lerenwerkt.nu. Please specify the applicable article when submitting your request.

Exemption due to pursuing other education for 16- and 17-year-olds

• Article 15: The young person is required to qualify and is otherwise pursuing education.

To be eligible for this exemption, parents or guardians must submit a request. The application form can be requested from the LerenWerkt administration at info@lerenwerkt.nu or
. Please specify that the request is being made under Article 15.

The compulsory education officer assesses whether the appeal/application meets the requirements of the Compulsory Education Act 1969 and informs parent(s)/guardian(s) in writing of the decision.

There may be special circumstances that prevent a child from attending school. These include moving, a wedding, an anniversary, or a funeral.

Application for leave for a special circumstance

Leave must always be requested in writing and well in advance (ideally at least 8 weeks in advance). A standard request form is available for this purpose and can be obtained from the child’s or young person’s school.
 

• The school principal decides on leave of absence for up to 10 school days. Parents or guardians may then complete and sign the application form and send it to the principal. The principal will notify the parents or guardians of the decision in writing, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
• The truancy officer decides on absences exceeding 10 school days. Parents or guardians may then send the school’s application form to the LerenWerkt administration via info@lerenwerkt.nu. The truancy officer will notify the parents or guardians of the decision in writing, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Vacationing outside of school breaks

Parents or guardians may not simply take their child(ren) who are subject to compulsory education or training on vacation outside of school breaks. If parents or guardians are unable to take time off during any of the school breaks due to work, they may request leave for a vacation outside of school breaks.

Requirements leave outside of school holidays due to work

To take a family vacation outside of school holidays, the following Requirements must Requirements met:

• Due to their profession, parents or guardians are unable to take a vacation during one of the school breaks. Proof of this must be provided.
• The vacation does not fall during the first two weeks of school following the summer break.  
• No leave has been granted this school year for a (family) vacation outside of the school holidays.  
• The child is going on vacation with the parent(s) or guardian(s).
• If you are a business owner, you must also be able to demonstrate that you would lose a significant portion of your income if you took a vacation with your family during school breaks. This is also referred to as an “insurmountable business risk.”

Requesting leave for vacations outside of school breaks

A request for leave must always be submitted in writing and in a timely manner (ideally at least 8 weeks in advance) to the school principal. The school principal makes the decision regarding this request. The truancy officer is not involved in the decision.
The leave request may cover a maximum of 10 school days per school year. Under the Compulsory Education Act of 1969, it is not possible to take more than 10 school days of vacation leave outside of school holidays. The school principal evaluates the request based on this law.

Going on vacation without the school principal’s permission. What are the consequences?

If a parent or guardian keeps their child out of school without the school principal’s permission, this constitutes unauthorized absence. The school is required to report this absence to the truancy officer in the municipality of residence. Unauthorized absence is a violation of the Compulsory Education Act of 1969. Following a report from the school, the truancy officer may issue a citation against the parent(s)/guardian(s).

LerenWerkt is dedicated to helping students who are absent, those at risk of dropping out, and those who have left school early. School attendance officers monitor compliance with the Compulsory Education Act. The counselors at the Doorstroompunt provide guidance to early school leavers. In the Achterhoek region, we work together, and our administration is managed centrally by LerenWerkt. For more information, visit the website at lerenwerkt.nu.

Contact

For more information about the right to education and truancy, visit the lerenwerkt.nu website. The contact information for the truancy officers and counselors at the Doorstroompunt can be found on the "Contact" page of the lerenwerkt.nu website.