| CDA | Christian Democratic Alliance | |
| CEVO | Central Examinations Board | |
| CITO | National Institute for Educational Measurement | |
| D66 |
Democratics '66 (Party) | |
| ECTS | European Credit Transfer System | |
| EPS | Educational Partnership | |
| EU | European Union | |
|
GDP |
Gross domestic product | |
| HAVO | Five-year senior general secondary education | |
| HBO | (Four-year) higher vocational/professional education | |
| HO | Higher education | |
| ICT | Information and communications technology | |
| ILO | International Labour Organisation | |
| IPMON | Instrument for Independent Periodic Assessment | |
| IT | Information technology | |
| IEA | International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement | |
| LIO | Trainee teacher | |
| LPF | Lijst Pim Fortuyn | Right-wing party which came into power (in a coalition government in 2002) |
| MAVO | (Prior to August 1999), four-year intermediate general secondary education | |
| MBO | (Prior to August 1999), senior secondary vocational education. Began to be replaced by SBO from August 1999 - see below. | |
| NAO | Netherlands Accreditation Organisation | |
| NCVQ | National Council for Vocational Qualifications (England). Merged with the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA) on 1 October 1997 to form the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). | |
| NFER | National Foundation for Educational Research (in England and Wales) | |
| NICL | National Teaching Materials Information Centre (part of SLO) | |
| OALT | Minority language teacher | |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development | |
| PE | Physical education | |
| PMVO | Procesmanagement voortgezet onderwijs | Advisory Committee for the Reform of Secondary Education (or 'secondary education process management team') |
| POVO | Consultative Committee for Primary and Secondary Education | |
| PvdA | (Dutch) Labour Party | |
| QCA | Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (England), formed on 1 October 1997 from the merger of NCVQ and SCAA. | |
| SBO | Began to be introduced from August 1999, secondary vocational education for students completing the new VMBO course (see below). | |
| SBL | Samenwerkingsorgaan Beroepskwaliteit Leraren | Association for the Quality of the Teaching Profession |
| SCAA | School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (England) (merged with the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NCVQ) on 1 October 1997, to form the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, QCA). | |
| SLO | National Institute for Curriculum Development | |
| ULO | Postgraduate teacher training course | |
| VBO | (Prior to August 1999), four-year vocational and general secondary education (as a basis for further vocational education). | |
| VELON | Vereniging Lerarenopleiders Nederland | Dutch Association for Teacher Education |
| VMBO | Introduced in August 1999, four-year pre-vocational secondary education (replaces VBO and MAVO) and prepares students for secondary vocational education (SBO) | |
| VSNU | Association of Dutch Universities | |
| VVD | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | |
| VVVO | Vakinhoudelijke Verenigingen Voortgezet Onderwijs | Association of Subject Guilds in Secondary Education |
| VWO | Six-year academic - pre-university - secondary education | |
| WBO | Primary Education Act 1985 | |
| WHBO | Higher Professional Education Act | |
| WHW | Higher Education and Research Act 1993 | |
| WO | University education | |
| WSNS | Weer samen naar school (Back to school together) | Clusters of ordinary and special schools. |
| WWO | University Education Act |
Glossary
| |
|
Dutch terms
|
|
| athenaeum |
general academic secondary education preparing students aged 12-18 for the pre-university certificate (VWO). Courses followed in the athenaeum branch of the VWO do not generally involve the study of the classics, although students may, in certain cases, optionally select to study such subjects.
|
| Basisschool |
the principal establishment providing primary education for 5-12 year olds in the Netherlands. Nearly all 4 year old children also attend, although schooling does not become compulsory until the age of 5.
|
| basisvorming |
compulsory foundation curriculum followed during the first cycle of lower secondary education (age 12-15).
|
| doctoraal |
Doctorate qualification, obtained after completing a research degree.
|
| gymnasium |
general academic secondary education preparing students aged 12-18 for the pre-university certificate (VWO). Courses followed in the gymnasium branch of the VWO generally involve the compulsory study of the classics (Latin and Greek).
|
| hoger onderwijs |
Higher education (HO). Higher education is for students aged from around 18 years and comprises higher professional education (HBO) and university education (WO).
|
| numerus fixus |
Restricted admissions policy.
|
|
onderwijskundig rapport
|
school report issued at the end of primary education |
|
Pedagogische Academie
|
Teacher training colleges for primary school teachers. |
|
Vereniging Lerarenopleiders Nederland (VELON)
|
Dutch Association for Teacher Education. |
|
viva voce
|
Oral examination. |
| Weer samen naar school (WSNS) |
Means 'back to school together'. This term refers to clusters of ordinary and special schools.
|
|
English terms
|
|
| competent authority (plural, competent authorities) | For public-sector schools, the competent authority is the municipal authority and, for private-sector schools, it is the administration board, association or institution which established the school. Competent authorities are responsible for the governance of the school, within the statutory framework, in areas, such as management and administration of financial resources, use of school buildings, appointment and dismissal of teaching and non-teaching staff, student admission and expulsion, school hours, preparation of the biennial school plan and annual activity plan (for approval by the Inspectorate), curriculum, timetable (number of lessons per compulsory or optional subject) and choice of teaching materials. |