International Schools in and Around Eindhoven

Although Eindhoven is the fifth largest city in the Netherlands, it has the fourth largest,  identifiable quantity of children seeking international, English education.  The three cities ahead of it, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and the Hague, all support both public and private international schools in English.  Eindhoven has only a single set of public schools, one primary school and one secondary school.

The primary, international public school in Eindhoven is called the RIS. Without going into its deepest history, the RIS was run by the same management team for nearly 20 years until May, 2002. In the last years of this team, English teacher hiring was left until it was clear a space was opening up.  Because of Dutch law, a teacher could give notice in June that he/she would not return in August, and the school would be left scrambling to find a replacement. Likewise, the school could not begin officially paying a teacher until his credentials were assessed by the Dutch government in order to determine his equivalent Dutch pay grade; sometimes, this took months.  The RIS did not follow a consistent, recognized reading/writing curriculum from grade to grade, nor did it dovetail with the curriculum at the secondary school.   Playground supervision on the upper school playground was 1 adult for 200 children. In 2001/2002, at least four English teachers quit during the school year. The Dutch section children were largely kept separate from the international children except during recesses and Friday afternoon activities.  By December 2002, when a new headmistress was hired, the school supported more than 60 staff for just 23 classes.

Despite this inauspicious foundation, the headmistress who managed the school from December 2002 to April 2005, made substantial progress.  She introduced a new “wrapper” curriculum, the International Primary Curriculum, which lays groundwork for supporting the curriculum at the secondary school.  Dutch and English language teachers received training in this curriculum.  Parent volunteers were requested for playground duty, receiving a minimal amount of compensation.  The school culture has been changed to emphasize respect for international cultures, and the Dutch department children are now interacting with the English department children.

The ISSE, the secondary school, supports an International Baccalaureate program for its oldest children.  Because middle and high school teachers work more hourly, so the lack of teacher attendance has not affected it as greatly as it affected the RIS.  However, historically, the school was politically and financially under the thumb of a larger organization called the Stedelijk College, and its facility belonged to the city.  These two factors caused disgruntlement amongst parents who paid fees and wanted faster improvements, but had no visibility onto where their money was going.

In the winter of 2002/2003, the city government concluded that there were enough problems with both schools that an improvement was warranted.  What could they do?  They decided to they would put the two schools together on a single campus. A new site was to be settled upon; amongst candidates for the sites was an old military barracks.   Plans have been made for the ISSE to become independent of the Stedelijk College, but you may want to inquire when, how independent, and how much visibility parents will have on the finances.  A third schoolboard has been formed.  Money of up to 20,000,000 Euros has been rumored in the local newspaper for over two years, but the majority of funds are earmarked for construction.

Very few expat parents have actively influenced the city’s plan, due to the fact that expat parent selection for the boards is a closed, selective process, and expat parent representation is not a majority on the boards. Expat parent involvement is largely limited to written notification by committees, and meetings held at the schools informing parents of the status of this project. The following subjects have been left on the back burner or remain unimplemented: schoolboards with a majority of the constituents they are intended to represent; a high, minimal qualification for all teachers presently teaching; internationally competitive salaries in order to attract internationally competitive teachers; removal of nonperforming teachers; funds for ongoing teacher training; proven reading/writing and math curricula that are recognized as standards; textbooks, including spelling books; afterschool daycare until at least 5:00 p.m.; professional, bilingual playground supervision; support for English-speaking children with learning differences; and inspection-supported accreditation of the basic, core reading/writing/math curriculum which surveys and addresses parental satisfaction. These are issues you may want to investigate before moving to Eindhoven.

Where do children go if parents are dissatisfied with these schools?  There are only two options in the vicinity: the local Dutch schools, and the European School in Mol, Belgium.  The Dutch schools may be an option for families that feel their children can integrate into both the Dutch language and social environment.  Some families choose to live in smaller villages to make this easier for their kids.

The European School in Mol offers a range of classes in different European languages.  In the lower grades, these are primarily Dutch (Flemish), German, English and French.  The English track has just two classes: first and second graders together in a class of about 15 children; and third, fourth and fifth graders together in a class of about 22 children.  Reading/writing and math instruction is on a par with a native English, public school, but other subjects are covered every week, including a second language, swimming, art and religion.  In the secondary school, children begin taking two classes in a second language in the sixth grade and start a third language in the seventh grade.  There is a hot lunch, and on days when the younger children have shorter days than the older children, there are afterschool activities.  A downside is that it is approximately 35 to 40 minutes driving from the southwest corner of Eindhoven to the school.  You have two ways of applying to this school in the late winter/early spring.  You may go as a full fare (pay a private-school, tuition-like fee) student or as an incremental student, in which case the fees are less than or equal to those at the public international schools in Eindhoven.  However, there are a limited number of slots for children on the incremental fee plan, so early applications are better. Since 2004, rumors have also suggested that European schools may be closed, so when inquiring, be sure to ask about the status of this school.

Please note that as of 2005, the Eindhoven international schools do not have support for English speaking children with special emotional, psychological or learning needs.  In “Culture Shock: Successful Living Abroad: A Parent’s Guide,” author Robin Pascoe, who is the nother of a child wth learning disabilities, advises, “I recommend that parents do not bring children overseas if there are any indicators whatsoever of learning disabilties. These children need continuity and experienced profesionals t help them, and such individuals are in most instances not available overseas.” No matter what anyone promises you, unless you can personally hire, train and pay for an aide yourself in the Netherlands (a challenge even if you have the money because of Dutch hiring laws), you should not bring your children that need assistance to Eindhoven.  Likewise, if your children are fine, but your family is suffering from a loss or unusual outside stress or strain, there is no support.  More than one English speaking family has come to Eindhoven and been unable to find the support available in public schools and private counseling elsewhere.  Private psychotherapy in English is at least an hour away (see information under Healthcare).  Don’t kid yourself about this!