Our education system both under- and overdelivers

The foundation of the Dutch knowledge economy is cracking – at least, if you believe Inge de Wolf, a professor at Maastricht University. In a recent episode of the podcast “Droom en daad,” she paints a sobering picture of Dutch primary and secondary education. Standards are slipping fast: two decades ago, Dutch students ranked among the OECD’s top performers in basic skills; today, they hover around the average.

The government, meanwhile, stands powerless. It has ceded nearly every lever of control and runs up against entrenched school boards whose priorities do not necessarily include the quality of education. Any attempt at reform is swiftly framed as an attack on the sacred ‘freedom of education’ guaranteed by the Constitution.