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Governing education

Governing education. Trends in Dutch education policy 1990-2010

The Dutch government is responsible for e a cohesive and properly functioning education system. This report discusses the way in which the government fulfilled that responsibility in the period 1990-2010.  The study is concerned primarily with the formulation of policy in relation to four characteristics of the Dutch education system: freedom of education (Article 23 of the Dutch Constitution); the relationship between mainstream and special education; the early selection of future studies that has to be made on the transition from primary to secondary education; and the position and function of senior vocational education.

The study describes how the government has changed course several times over the last 20 years; how sluggish has been the progress of the various policy-building processes; how relationships within the policy arena have changed; which agencies and organisations have exerted most influence over the policy; and what all the policy efforts have ultimately produced.