Fig. 1
From: Content expectations and dropout in Dutch vocational education
adapted from Cornelisz & van Klaveren, 2018)
The Dutch Education System. After finishing primary education (grade six) children are tracked into three educational levels based on the recommendation of the primary school. About half of the children are tracked into prevocational Education (VMBO, four years) which prepares children for upper secondary vocational education (vocational education in this paper, MBO in Dutch; three or four years). Vocational education is itself tracked, with four levels labelled one to four. Depending on this level vocational education students are on classified as International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) level two (first stage of secondary education building on primary education, typically with a more subject-oriented curriculum), three (second/final stage of secondary education preparing for tertiary education and/or providing skills relevant to employment, usually with an increased range of subject options and streams) or four (programs providing learning experiences that build on secondary education and prepare for labor market entry and/or tertiary education; the content is broader than secondary but not as complex as tertiary education). Note: ISCED level in parentheses (