Early childhood education in the Netherlands: the first steps

Spanning a period of eight years, from age four to twelve, Dutch primary education is among the minority of systems worldwide that integrate the education of younger children into the primary school. This chapter begins by describing the genesis of the current structure of Dutch primary education. It explains the arguments for integrating kindergarten into the primary school, and the initial hurdles experienced. In light of current national debate regarding the establishment formal linkages between the education and care of even younger children (aged two to four) and primary schools, this chapter also describes the current system of preschool education as well as curricula for children in the two to six year age range. Finally, it features a discussion of major opportunities and threats posed by the current structures, along with the rationale behind our call for the harmonization of Dutch preschool and primary education systems.