Primary education
Primary education is intended for children in the age group 4 to 12 and is compulsory for
children from the age of 5. This type of education lasts 8 years and is provided by schools
for primary education (basisonderwijs) or special education (speciaal onderwijs). The
generic name for these types of education is primair onderwijs. Depending on the
individual results and preferences, pupils move on to secondary education (voortgezet
onderwijs). At the end of group 8, the last year of primary education, pupils select a type
of secondary education on the basis of a recommendation from their school, their own
preference and in many cases a national test known as the Citotoets. They have 2
options to choose from: general secondary education (algemeen voortgezet onderwijs,
HAVO or VWO) or preparatory secondary vocational education (beroepsgericht
voortgezet onderwijs,VMBO).