LEGAL SYSTEM

The first piece of educational legislation, the Elementary Education Act, was passed in 1801. However, it was the so-called 'Third Schools Act' of 1806 that contributed significantly to the improvement of general education. The Act made provisions relating to teaching qualifications, curriculum and inspection of schools. At that time public elementary schools were government funded and private schools were maintained from private sources.

Religious political parties stressed the need for freedom of education and equal funding which led to the Elementary Education Act of 1889 which introduced legislation for funding to denominational schools. In 1917 equal funding of state and private education was finally enshrined in the Constitution. From 1920 onwards, the principle of financial equality was gradually extended to include secondary and higher education. At the present time there are nearly twice as many denominational schools as non-denominational ones.

Compulsory schooling between the ages of 7 and 12 years came into effect with the
Compulsory Act of 1900. In 1955 the Nursery Education Act came into force, though nursery education was still not compulsory. The Primary Education Act of 1985 for 4 - 12 year olds integrated nursery and primary schools into one primary school and made schooling compulsory from the age of 5 onwards.

At the beginning of the century a small-scale system of special schools for various groups of children slowly evolved in the Netherlands. Special education was originally regulated via the Primary Education Act of 1920. In 1967 the 'Special Education Act', which specified regulations for special schools became effective. This Act was replaced by the Interim Act for Special Education and Special Secondary Education (ISOVSO) in 1985. From 1998 on, new primary, secondary and special education acts  came into force and were further modified in late 2002. The effect of these is that former primary and secondary schools for learning disabled and mild mentally impaired pupils are now part of regular education provision, special schools were reorganised as Expertise Centres, and a new demand-oriented funding system is in the process of being implemented.