Work Programme 2026-2027

For more than a hundred years the Council has been providing successive governments and parliaments with independent advice, both on request and on its own initiative, on education policy and legislation. The Council has developed this programme in part based on discussions with officials from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Dutch Parliament and representatives of pupil and student organisations, parents, teachers, school heads and other education professionals, umbrella organisations, trade unions, sectoral boards and childcare organisations.

The power of education

In the introduction to this work programme, the Education Council highlights the power of education. By offering a space in which pupils and students can mix, meet and connect, education prepares them to participate in society. Making full use of the power of education requires a carefully thought-through education policy, which sees issues and problems in the round and supports education professionals. This applies for the present outgoing Dutch government, but will equally be a task for the new government.

Advisory reports and studies

The Council will be working on the following topics over the next two years:

• Special needs education: What contribution can special needs education make to enable pupils with support needs to play a full part in education, and what parameters does the council believe must be met by policy and educational practice?
• The relationship between parents and schools: What is needed to strengthen the collaboration and trust between parents and schools?
• Systemic study of the configuration of education: What configuration of the primary, secondary and further education system will guarantee good education for everyone?

The Council has previously announced publications on well-being and education, evidence in education practice and policy, testing in a renewed curriculum, the configuration and functioning of the Dutch education system in the Caribbean Netherlands, school premises and on research infrastructure for education policy. The Council will also publish legislative advice on the legislative proposal on embedding quality standards in practice and the legislative proposal on supervision of informal education in the coming period.

About the Education Council

Good education for everyone: that is the goal which the Education Council of the Netherlands is committed to helping achieve. For more than a hundred years the Council has been advising successive governments and parliaments on education policy and legislation. The Council’s work culminates in evidence-based studies and advisory reports focused on offering solutions for the long term. They deal with all aspects of the education system, from pre-school provision right through to post-university education and lifelong learning and development.