Renewed procedure for establishing a new school in the Caribbean Netherlands

The recently introduced law ‘Meer Ruimte voor Nieuwe Scholen’ (More Room for New Schools) has been in force in the Caribbean Netherlands (CN) since June 1st. This law modernizes the rules for establishing new primary and secondary schools. More attention is being paid to whether there is sufficient interest in a new school and whether it can offer sufficient quality.

OCW Oprichten van een school

Everyone in the Caribbean Netherlands is allowed to set up a school with education according to their own religion and/or philosophy of life. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) monitors the quality of education and funds public and special education in the CN. The Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO) (Education Executive Agency) is responsible for funding the new school. Conditions apply for this. In addition to a new school (for primary or secondary education), it is also possible to set up a new branch of an existing secondary school.

For more information

For more information about the procedures and conditions for establishing a new school, visit the website of OCW in the Caribbean Netherlands: https://english.rijksdienstcn.com/education-culture-science under the menu item ‘Set up a new school’.