Compulsory education, special leave or exemption

Is a whole week of school too tiring for your child at first? Then you can keep your child home for 5 hours a week until your child turns 6.

• No consent is required for keepig your child at home.
• You must inform the school that you will be keeping your child at home for a few hours a week.
• Do you want to keep your child home for more than 5 hours per week? Then you must ask permission from the school principal.
   

Sometimes your child can be given permission to not go to school for one or more days. For example:

• disease
• suspension
• a religious holiday
• a marriage
• a funeral

Is your child ill? Or is there a holiday from your faith? Then you report to the school that your child will not be coming to school. In other cases, you request permission for extra leave in writing from the school director in advance. 

• You must provide evidence that the exemption is required (for example, a wedding invitation or a condolence card).
• If a request for leave of absence exceeds 10 school days, the school attendance officer will decide.

Holiday outside school vacations

You may not take your child on holiday outside the school vacations. If you do, you are breaking the law and are liable to punishment. 

Are you unable to get time off work during school holidays?

• You can then submit a request for leave outside the school holidays once per school year.
• You must do this at least 8 weeks in advance with the school director.

You can read all information and conditions on the website of the Dutch government | holidays outside the school holidays .
 

In some cases you can request exemption for your child for part of the school year. This must be done with the municipality at least one month before your child turns 5. You must submit the request for exemption before July 1 of each school year. You will be invited by the school attendance officer for an explanation. 

These are the special situations for which you can apply for an exemption:

Due to mental and/or physical complaints, your child cannot attend school.

• You need a statement from a doctor, educator or psychologist. This may not be the treating physician. 
• The school attendance officer may ask an independent doctor to assess the application. This doctor will also contact the partnership for appropriate education to see what is possible within (special) education. 
• An exemption due to mental and/or physical disability can be issued for a period longer than one year.

No school in your area fits your faith or philosophy.

• You must explain why, per school.
• The statement does not apply if your child attended a school with a direction to which an objection is being made in the previous school year.

Your child is going to school abroad.

• You will need a statement from the director of the foreign school. 
• At the end of the school year, the foreign school must confirm that your child actually attended school. Otherwise, the school attendance officer will initiate an investigation.
• If your child is staying abroad for more than 8 months, you must report this to the municipality.

You travel around the Netherlands

• For example, because you work at a fair or in a circus. 

• Searching for a school
• Compulsory education and qualification
• Appropriate education and special education
• Central Government | Education Inspectorate
• Annual Report Compulsory Education and Transition Point 2023-2024 (pdf)

Compulsory education (5-18 years)

Do you have a question and would like to contact Team Compulsory Education? Then please fill out the form:

Contact Team Compulsory Education

Mailing address:

Team Compulsory Education
PO Box 15
2700 AA ZOETERMEER