Two practical topics that you will use the day you arrive. Children go to the basisschool (primary school) from the age of 4, and school is compulsory from 5 until 18. Boys and girls sit in one class, there is no school uniform, and the parents, not the municipality, look for a good school and are responsible for what their children do. After primary school there are different kinds of secondary school: vmbo, havo and vwo. Health care works in a fixed order. A health insurance is compulsory. When you are ill you go to the huisarts (the family doctor) first, not to the hospital; you collect medicine on prescription at the apotheek (pharmacy); specialists work in the hospital; and in an emergency you go to the hospital. Small children go to the consultatiebureau.
Pictures you will see in the exam
The Dutch school system
Specialists work in the hospital
The consultatiebureau
What you'll learn
- The ages: primary school from 4, compulsory from 5, compulsory until 18, secondary school from 12
- The three secondary schools (vmbo, havo, vwo) and why not all children go to the same one
- Who is responsible for the child and who chooses the school (de ouders)
- Health insurance is compulsory (verplicht) and where you go first: de huisarts
- Pharmacy, specialist, hospital and consultatiebureau: which one is for what
Real KNS questions on this topic
Q: "U bent ziek. Waar gaat u eerst naar toe? Naar de huisarts of naar het ziekenhuis?" (You are ill. Where do you go first?) — A: "Naar de huisarts."
Q: "Vanaf welke leeftijd is de school verplicht?" (From what age is school compulsory?) — A: "5 jaar."
Frequently asked questions
Do children start at 4 or at 5?
Both numbers appear: children go to the basisschool at 4, and school becomes compulsory at 5. The exam asks each question separately, so learn them as two facts.
Is the pharmacy the same as the drugstore?
No. Medicine on prescription is collected at the apotheek (pharmacy). The drogist is a shop for things like soap and simple products. In an emergency you go to the hospital, not the drogist.
Where can I practise all of them?
On Asagno's KNS study page there are two topics for this guide, "Education" and "Health care", each with pictures such as the school system chart and the consultatiebureau.