Educational Difficulties for ex-pats in the Netherlands

Educational Difficulties for ex-pats in the Netherlands

Written by Alessia Bruni

The Netherlands stands as a popular destination for expatriates due to the many advantages the country has to offer. However, navigating the Dutch educational system poses a significant challenge for expat families and students who attend the many wonderful universities. These difficulties stem from differences in the education structure and system offered to the students, the language barriers, and the housing difficulties.

 

Dutch Educational System

The Dutch education system is unique as it heavily emphasizes tracking students into academic or vocational paths that start at an early age. (“Education in the Netherlands | Nuffic,” n.d.) At the university level, students must meet the entry requirements to apply and attend university. However, the Dutch universities offer two types of bachelor degrees. The first entails attending a University of Applied Sciences (HBO), which is more of a professional orientation, and the other is an academic university (WO), which focuses on an academic orientation. Additionally, HBO Bachelor’s programs take 4 years (240 ECTS) while the WO Bachelor’s programs take 3 years (180 ECTS). (“What’s the difference between HBO and WO?,” n.d.)

When applying to universities, there are a few challenges that international students may face, this includes the registration process as the Dutch universities have two types of bachelor’s degrees and for many expats, there is no formal process in educating these individuals in their choice.International students are “three times more likely to drop out in their first year of university than Dutch students: 17 percent of international students drop out in their first year, compared with 6 percent of Dutch students.” (Stylianou 2024) This highlights the many challenges that international students face when attending a Duch University.

Additionally, it is vital for students to be made aware of the BSA (binding study advice) that is provided by the universities in the final semester of the student’s first academic year, which determines whether or not the students can move forward with their desired subjects and courses, all depending on how each student performs which is reflected by the number of credits obtained or their grades. Failure to meet the minimum grade or credit requirements results in students receiving a negative BSA, which hinders their ability to move forward in their studies. Furthermore, the standards set out by the Dutch universities lead to students being disheartened as the level of difficulty to meet the requirements is high. Students, too, are faced with severe levels of stress and, as a result, detrimentally affects their mental health. (Stylianou 2024)

Language Barriers

A significant challenge for many internationals is the language barrier; the transition can be quite difficult even in English-speaking international schools as the students struggle to adapt to Dutch society, with an emphasis on many students struggling to understand the educational expectations. The universities, too, do not provide sufficient support to international students, thus emphasising a major challenge that foreign students face.

Due to the influx of international students, understanding and speaking English may be a challenge for these students, and due to the self-study lifestyle offered by the universities, this creates many challenges as these students may feel isolated or experience high levels of stress due to struggling to keep up with their studies due to lack of understanding and comprehension. (“Challenges Faced by International Students in Netherlands” 2023)

Transitioning into the Dutch Society

International students and expatriates often encounter challenges when adapting to a new educational system. Dutch educational institutions emphasize independence, critical thinking, and academic rigor, which can pose significant difficulties, particularly for students hailing from diverse and distinct educational backgrounds. The adjustment process can be especially difficult for international students, as they may experience feelings of loneliness, homesickness, and isolation. Furthermore, the families of these students may share similar sentiments due to their unfamiliarity with the Dutch education system and its unique practices. (European Commission 2022)

It is essential to recognize that the transition period can present a significant cultural adjustment for students. Relocating to another country poses inherent challenges, as differing customs, traditions, and social norms can contribute to an overwhelming experience. (“Challenges Faced by International Students in Netherlands” 2023)

Housing Crisis

The housing crisis in the Netherlands poses a continued and significant challenge for many of the international students. Starting a new life in a foreign country can already be quite challenging however, in the Netherlands, the struggle remains in finding affordable and suitable accommodation. (Walker 2024) The Netherlands continues to face a shortage of student housing due to the high demand, specifically in cities like Utrecht, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and the Hague. Many of the students experience waiting lists, high rent, and location issues, which places the students in situations to live in temporary conditions such as shared rooms or locations that are far out from where they will attend university. (“The Student Housing Crisis in the Netherlands: How The Hague University of Applied Sciences is Supporting International Students” 2024)

International students may face challenges related to language proficiency and navigating Dutch rental regulations, as landlords often prioritize local tenants. This issue is particularly significant given the ongoing housing crisis in the Netherlands, which continues to attract an increasing number of international students. This will add to the strain and pressure that students are under academically and their transition process into Dutch society.

Conclusion

International students in the Netherlands face significant educational challenges that stem from the unique educational system, language barriers, societal differences, and housing difficulties. Although the Netherlands offers excellent educational opportunities, these difficulties can negatively impact international students’ well-being and mental health throughout their studies. Offering a better support system and addressing these difficulties is vital for ensuring a better quality of life and a better transitioning period for these students.

 

Cover Image by Frits de Jong, Den Haag, 2016, photograph, Pixabay, https://pixabay.com/photos/tu-delft-university-library-1723434/

 

References

“Challenges Faced by International Students in Netherlands.” 2023. studyabroad.jeduka, February 24, 2023. https://www.jeduka.com/articles-updates/netherlands/challenges-faced-by-international-students-in-netherlands.

“Education in the Netherlands | Nuffic.” n.d. Nuffic | De organisatie voor internationalisering in het onderwijs. Accessed December 4, 2024. https://www.nuffic.nl/en/subjects/study-in-nl/education-in-the-netherlands.

European Commission. 2022. “Netherlands: Challenges for international students.” European Website on Integration, November 20, 2022. https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/news/netherlands-challenges-international-students_en.

“The Student Housing Crisis in the Netherlands: How The Hague University of Applied Sciences is Supporting International Students.” 2024. Goin’ – Connecting your students, September 10, 2024. https://www.goinconnect.com/success-stories/the-student-housing-crisis-in-the-netherlands-how-the-hague-university-of-applied-sciences-is-supporting-international-students#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20report%20by,for%20the%20international%20student%20population.

Stylianou, Kam. 2024. “Why the Netherlands can be a high-risk destination for students | Times Higher Education.” Times Higher Education (THE), April 15, 2024. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/counsellor/admissions-processes-and-funding/why-netherlands-can-be-high-risk-destination-students.

Walker,Anne-Maree. 2024. “Netherlands to reduce international student numbers amid ongoing student housing crisis | Global Student Living.” Global Student Living | Professional news, information and insight into student living and lifestyle around the world, February 23, 2024. https://gslglobal.com/2024/02/23/netherlands-to-reduce-international-student-numbers-amid-ongoing-student-housing-crisis/.

“What’s the difference between HBO and WO?” n.d. TU Delft. Accessed December 4, 2024. https://www.tudelft.nl/en/education/study-programme-orientation/preparing-for-a-bachelor/whats-the-difference-between-hbo-and-wo.

 

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Protecting Deceased Individuals and Their Remains

Presented by Alexia Kapsampeli

International humanitarian law has established important principles about dead and missing in armed conflict. These principles protecting dead persons are based on fundamental human values.
The requirements that the dead be treated with respect and dignity existed long before there were any attempts to identify and codify the legislation.¹ In Homer’s Iliad, horror and concern about the dead becoming “prey to dogs and vultures” exist.² According to the Greek Heroic Age standards, when Homer wrote the Iliad, “it is recognised custom for the victor after stripping his dead enemy to throw the body to the dogs and vultures”.³ Similarly, in the Classical period, Sophocles’ Antigone discusses the treatment of Polynice’s dead body. ⁴ As the first Professor of Anthropology at the University of Oxford, Edward B. Tylor, emphasised in his book “Primitive Culture, ii”: “In classic antiquity… it was the most sacred of duties to give the body its funeral rites”.⁵

The government of Israel claims that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to the occupied Palestinian territories. However, human rights law is still applied even in an armed conflict, as a part of international humanitarian law, according to the International Court of Justice and the United Nations Human Rights Committee 19. As for Hamas, it is not a party to the international conventions, but the customary rules of international humanitarian law apply to all parties in an armed conflict. On the other hand, Israel’s actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are limited by international humanitarian law and by the customary rules of human rights law.

In a July 2020 report, the United Nations rapporteur on human rights, Michael Lynk, of withholding bodies of killed Palestinians. According to the report, “UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon observed in 2016 that the withholding of bodies amounts to collective punishment and is also inconsistent with Israel’s obligations as an occupying power under the Fourth Geneva Convention”. It is said collective punishment is a tool of control and domination that is antithetical to the modern rule of law and prohibited by all legal systems across the globe.¹³

18A-Input_for_report_on_protection_of_dead_persons

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Featured Image “Jerusalem, located on a plateau in the Judean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea, is one of the oldest cities in the world. ” by Northern Adventures on Flickr.

¹ Last Rights The Dead, the Missing and the Bereaved at Europe’s International Borders 2 Proposal for a Statement of the International legal obligations of States May 2017 https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Migration/36_42/TheLastRightsProject.pdf Last accessed on January 17, 2024
² Hrvoje Cvijanović “Death and the City: Political corpses and the specters of Antigone” University of Zagreb, 2019, https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/336271 Last accessed on January 19, 2024
³ Basset Samuel Elliot “Achilles’ Treatment of Hector’s Body” Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, p 41-65, 1933
⁴ Hrvoje Cvijanović “Death and the City: Political corpses and the specters of Antigone” University of Zagreb, 2019, https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/336271 Last accessed on January 19, 2024
⁵ Frank Tarbell “Greek Ideas as to the Effect of Burial on the Future of the Soul” Transactions of the American Philological Association (1869-1896) Vol 15, pp (36-45) https://www.jstor.org/stable/2935798?seq=1 Last accessed on January 19, 2024

¹³ Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session44/Documents/A_HRC_44_60.pdf, 2020, Last accessed on January 21, 2024

Flipino migrant’s contributions

Presented by Alexia Kapsampeli, Ariel Ozdemir, Mila Gürün, Olimpia Guidi, Sarah Kuipers

Filipino migrants and their families contribute significantly to socio-cultural interactions through education. For example, in countries like the United States and Canada, Filipino community organisations collaborate with local schools to introduce Filipino culture through language classes, dance workshops, and cultural celebrations.1 In California, the “Filipino Cultural School” offers language courses and cultural immersion programs to both Filipino-American children and other students interested in learning about Filipino heritage.2

Educators also play a crucial role in promoting cultural exchange. In Qatar, Filipino teachers in international schools integrate Filipino literature and history into the curriculum, fostering greater understanding and appreciation among students from diverse backgrounds.3

Civic-Political Engagements:

Filipino migrant families actively engage in civic and political activities to contribute positively to their host societies. For instance, in Italy, Filipino migrant organisations collaborate with local authorities to organise cultural festivals and community events, promoting cross-cultural understanding and integration.4 One such event is the “Barrio Fiesta,” where Filipino migrants showcase their traditions, cuisine, and performing arts to the broader community.5 Moreover, Filipino migrant families participate in grassroots initiatives to address social issues and advocate for their rights.6 In Hong Kong, Filipino domestic workers organise workshops and support groups to raise awareness about labour rights and combat discrimination.7

Economic Contributions:

Filipino migrants make significant contributions to the labour market of their host countries, driving economic growth and innovation. For example, in the healthcare sector of the United Kingdom, Filipino nurses are valued for their professionalism, compassion, and expertise.8 Their dedication and hard work alleviate staffing shortages and enhance the quality of patient care in hospitals and nursing homes.9

Furthermore, Filipino migrant workers in the Middle East, particularly in countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, contribute to various industries such as construction, hospitality, and information technology.10 Their skills and expertise fill critical gaps in the labour market, supporting infrastructure development and economic diversification efforts.11

25A_Contribution_to_UN_HRC_report_2024

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Featured Image by Jean Martinelle from Pixabay

1 Blancaflor, S., Escobar, A. (2018). Filipino Cultural Schools Helps Bridge Filipino Americans and their Heritage. Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/filipino-cultural-schools-help-bridge-filipino-americans-their-heritage-n924381

2 Ibid.

3 Del Rosario,K.A., Inero Valbuena, A. (2020). Unfolding of Filipino School Leadership Experiences in Doha, Qatar. Asian Journal of University Education, 16(1), pp.97-108. Available at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1252260

4 Magante, M. C. (2020). The determinants of migration: Italian regional factors and the relationship with Filipino migrant labour supply. World Journal of Applied Economics, 6(1), 21-39.

5 Republic of the Philippines. (2017). PHL Embassy Promotes Phl Culture, Tourism in Huge ‘Barrio Fiesta‘ in Rome. Available at:https://dfa.gov.ph/dfa-news/news-from-our-foreign-service-postsupdate/12618-phl-embassy-promotes-phl-culture-tourism-in-huge-barrio-fiesta-in-rome

6 Yonaha, Y. (2024). Negotiating Leisure Constraints in the Pandemic: The Case of Migrant Domestic Workers in Hong Kong. Int J Sociol Leis. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41978-024-00150-8

7 Ibid.

8 Smith, D. M., & Gillin, N. (2021). Filipino nurse migration to the UK: understanding migration choices from an ontological security-seeking perspective. Social Science & Medicine, 276, 113881. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953621002136

9 Ibid.

10 Magliveras, S., & Al Qurtuby, S. (2023). Connecting worlds: Filipino and Indonesian sojourns to Saudi Arabia. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 32(3), 549-571. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/01171968231211075

11 Ibid.

Efforts to combat racism in the Asia Pacific region

Presented by Alexia Kapsampeli

This report was drafted by Broken Chalk to contribute to the call for inputs to analyze the status of the rights situation of Africans and people of African descent in the Asia Pacific region. Broken Chalk is an organisation that fights against violations of Human Rights and improving the quality of education around the globe.

Article 4 of the Constitution of China states, “All ethnic groups in the People’s Republic of China are equal. The State protects the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic minorities and maintains and develops relationships of equality, unity, and mutual assistance among all ethnic groups. Discrimination and oppression of any ethnic group is prohibited. Behaviours that undermine national unity and create national divisions are prohibited”.1

China applied to the United Nations for the International Convention on All Forms of Racial Discrimination (with reservation to Article 23) on November 29, 1981. It was adopted on January 28, 1982. It is one of the earliest United Nations human rights conventions ratified by China.

Chinese officials denied the existence of racial discrimination in the country.2

However, according to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, China lacks an anti-racial discrimination law and a national human rights institution in line with the Paris Principles. 3

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References

1 在中国种族歧视会犯法吗？(Is racial discrimination illegal in China?) https://www.sohu.com/a/139339006_244250#google_vignette May 9, 2017, Last accessed on December 6, 2023 

2 国际公约和文书中有关消除种族歧视背景知识 50 问答 (Background knowledge on the elimination of racial discrimination in international conventions and instruments 50 Q&A) https://www.nchrd.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/%E5%9B%BD%E9%99%85%E5%85%AC%E7%BA%A6%E5%92%8C%E6%96%87%E4%B9%A6%E4%B8%AD%E6%9C%89%E5%85%B3%E6%B6%88%E9%99%A4%E7%A7%8D%E6%97%8F%E6%AD%A7%E8%A7%86%E8%83%8C%E6%99%AF%E7%9F%A5%E8%AF%8650%E9%97%AE%E7%AD%94.pdf Last accessed December 7, 2023

3 Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reviews the report of China, https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2018/08/committee-elimination-racial-discrimination-reviews-report-china, August 13, 2018, Last accessed on December 11, 2023

Universal Periodic Review of Cyprus

This report drafted by Broken Chalk contributes to the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for the Republic of Cyprus. This report focuses exclusively on human rights issues in Cyprus’ education field.

  • Cyprus has turned the island into a place renowned for conflicts due to the differences between the two central communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. In 1974, a Greek coup against the President of the country and Turkey’s military invasion and partition of the island led to the forceful division and completed the physical separation of the two central communities. (i) This situation and especially the consequences of the Turkish invasion affected every sector, such as the economy, the society, and the education system. 
  • Nowadays, two education systems exist in the country. The structural organisation of Turkish schools is similar to the Greek one. However, there are a lot of differences. The Republic of Cyprus, as a member of the European Union since 2004, complies with European standards about education. Compulsory education lasts for ten years and four months, starting from the age of 4 years (pre-preliminary education) and extending to the age of 15 years (end of lower secondary education). Public education, namely preliminary, primary, and secondary education, is free for all from the age of 4 years to 18 years. However, there are many private institutions. Furthermore, public tertiary (non-university level) education is free. As for public higher education (undergraduate level), it is free for Cypriots and citizens from the European Union, as the government fully pays the fees. [i]
  • As for the northern part of Cyprus, Turkey controls it, and the educational system is similar to the Turkish one. Education is compulsory and free from age 5 to 17 years. Higher education includes all the institutions after secondary education. The system consists of 5 private universities and one semi-public state academy. [ii] Under these circumstances, both educational systems of Cyprus have been criticised for supporting the idea of the other as an enemy.

By Alexia Kapsabeli

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46th_Session_UN-UPR_Country_Review_Cyprus_S

References

[i] Cyprus Eurydice European Union https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-education-systems/cyprus/overview Last accessed 3 September 2023

[ii] Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Turkiye “Study in North Cyprus” https://www.mfa.gov.tr/data/cyprus.pdf   Last accessed on 5 September 2023

Cover image by EUCyprus via Wikimedia Commons