As is the case in many countries, problem solving (in the sense of the above definition) was not an explicit part of the mathematics curriculum in The Netherlands until the eighties. In primary education it still is not. For upper secondary level, however, policy makers and math educators realized in the seventies that a serious problem was emerging. The curriculum was well suited for the students who were preparing for science, but not at all for those pursuing an education (or profession) in other domains such as social studies. It was decided that the latter category of students, who struggled with the formal and abstract approach, would be better served with a more problem-oriented approach focusing on applications and mathematical modelling. This also implied, of course, a very different approach to what should be learned and assessed. The science-oriented streams in upper secondary education were not affected by this: no realistic problem solving was included in the math and science-oriented curriculum. The national examinations remained straightforward and traditional, so these—high level—students could be prepared for higher education without any skills to invent new strategies for new types of problems.