Municipality of Hoorn: exemptions from compulsory school attendance
Children aged 5 to 16 are of compulsory school age. Young people between the ages of 16 and 18 without basic qualifications are required to qualify.
Compulsory education
Compulsory education starts on the first school day of the month, after the child has turned 5 years old. Compulsory education is valid up to and including the school year in which the pupil turns 16. Children who stay in the Netherlands for a long time are also of compulsory school age. Parents are responsible for ensuring that their child attends school.
Qualification obligation
If a 16-year-old pupil does not yet have a diploma, he must meet the qualification requirement. This means that a young person must go to school until the age of 18 in order to obtain at least an MBO 2, HAVO or VWO diploma.
Please note: you can only apply for an exemption from compulsory education if you live in the Netherlands and are registered with a municipality.
In special situations it is possible to request extra leave for your child. There are three types of leave:
- additional vacation leave
- leave due to exceptional circumstances
- leave due to religious obligations
Extra vacation leave due to work
Extra holiday leave is only possible if one of the parents can only go on holiday outside the school holidays due to his or her profession. Leave is not possible due to organizational problems within your company.
Conditions:
- Vacation leave is allowed once a year.
- The leave does not exceed 10 school days.
- Vacation leave is not in the first 2 weeks of the school year.
- You have an employer's statement showing that you cannot go on holiday during the school holidays.
- You request the holiday leave 8 weeks in advance.
Leave due to exceptional circumstances
Exceptional circumstances are referred to in the law as 'Critical Circumstances'. For these circumstances, a child can receive a maximum of 10 days of leave in a year. You submit the request to the director or rector of the school no later than 2 days after you know that the leave is required. A maximum number of days applies to this leave. Family ties are also taken into account.
More than 10 days?
If you want to request more than 10 school days leave for your child, you must submit this to the director or rector at least 6 weeks in advance. The attendance officer will decide on your request. For example, it may concern medical or social circumstances of one of the family members. You will need a statement from a doctor or social worker for this.
Leave due to religious obligations
If an obligation arises from religion or belief, the child gets 1 day off for each obligation. You submit the request for leave at least 2 days in advance to the director or rector of the school.
Questions about this topic?
Contact the Municipality of Hoorn