Kerndoelen

Kerndoelen are the core educational objectives that describe what pupils in the Netherlands should know and be able to do at key moments during their schooling. They form a national framework established by the government to guide curriculum development and assessment in both basisonderwijs (primary education) and voortgezet onderwijs (secondary education). Each kerndoel specifies a minimum set of knowledge, skills and attitudes that learners are expected to acquire in a given subject area or domain, such as taal en lezen (Dutch language and literacy), rekenen en wiskunde, natuur en techniek, mens en maatschappij, kunst en cultuur, and lichamelijke opvoeding.

The kerndoelen function as a reference point for schools when they develop their own local curricula (leerplannen) and when organizing instruction and assessment. They help ensure a coherent learning trajectory across schools and provide transparency for parents and inspectors. It is important to note that kerndoelen are not a ready-made curriculum; schools interpret and integrate them into their own teaching programs and assessment methods.

The kerndoelen are periodically reviewed and updated by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to reflect educational priorities and societal developments, including language, digital literacy, collaboration and critical thinking. In secondary education, kerndoelen work alongside more detailed end terms (eindtermen) used for examinations, and alongside proficiency levels (referentieniveaus) used to describe students’ attainment in areas such as reading and writing.

Overall, kerndoelen establish a shared national standard for what students should master during their schooling, supporting consistency, accountability and informed dialogue among schools, parents and policymakers.