Netherlands

According to the national authorities responding to the survey, the DCE Recommendation or principles from the Council of Europe do not appear in any policy document or legislation.   

1. Digitisation Agenda for Primary and Secondary Education (2019) that aims for pupils and teachers to be digitally literate, to have secure digital infrastructure and available digital learning resources, and a sustained focus on ethics of digitisation in education. It aims to make digital literacy part of the curriculum, including media literacy and involving the education sector and the business community. Tools and guidelines will support schools in conducting discussions about educational values in relation to digitisation, both within the schools and between the school and developers of digital products and services. 
2. Dutch Digitalisation Strategy (DDS) 2021: updates the DDS adopted in 2019 in light of the pandemic. The digital skills part focuses on the digital infrastructure and learning resources, funded by the Growth Fund. 
3. On the 13th of September 2024, the new government published its plans. In the chapter on education, the new government does announce that attention will be paid to citizenship and digital literary (in the Netherlands those two are identified as two separate objects). What this ‘attention’ means concretely, has not yet been explained.  
4. In 2024 the Dutch Institute for Curriculum Development (SLO) published concept learning goals for the specific learning areas of citizenship education and digital literary for primary and secondary education in terms. The concept goals are currently being tested at primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands, but the date for the set of definite goals to be implemented is still unclear (expected in spring 2025).  

Sources

1. https://cdn-assets.inwink.com/b0269dea-af7b-4460-b29a-c40b9941c4c5/df0a1bd5-7569-436c-9dcc-d33b65e3eb98
2. https://www.nederlanddigitaal.nl/documenten/publicaties/2021/06/22/the-dutch-digitalisation-strategy-2021-eng  
3. Regeerprogramma. Uitwerking van het hoofdlijnenakkoord door het kabinet (13 september 2024).
4. https://www.slo.nl/thema/meer/actualisatie-kerndoelen-examenprogramma/

1. and 2.: In 2019 and 2021, the government held a Dutch Digital Conference with representatives from the scientific community, the world of work, civil society organisations and government to exchange knowledge and join forces on digital transformation.  Other initiatives beyond the strategies: 

3. A Safe Internet Day is organised every year by the Safe Internet Centre led by 3 organisations (ECP | Platform for the Information Society, Netwerk Mediawijsheid and Offlimits). 

4. There is a yearly Anti-Bullying week, organised by the School & Safety Foundation. 

5. The Dutch Media Literacy Network provides information to the public and media literacy professionals through three websites: Mediawijsheid.nl: about safe and smart use of (digital) media; HoeZoMediawijs.nl: for fun, safe and smart use of (social) media, aimed at children and youngsters from 10 years old; Netwerkmediawijsheid.nl: an online platform for network partners and other professionals in the field of media literacy.   

6. In the past years the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has launched an expertise center for citizenship education (Experisepunt Burgerschap, 2022) and an expertise center for digital literacy (Expertisepunt Digitale Geletterdheid, 2023). These ‘centers’ provide information and support to (formal) schools for the development of their education in these areas. 

Sources

1. No information found on the evaluation process for the Digitalisation Agenda for Primary and Secondary Education 
2. The appendixes of the DDS 2019 and 2021 provide a roadmap with the actions (including the actions laid out in previous DDS), progress, remaining activities and body in charge. 
3. To monitor developments in relation to digital literacy, school and teacher self-evaluations are used, next to input gathered by national research initiatives, such as Schoolkostenmonitor, ICT monitor MYRA, PISA, ECP Monitor, Peilonderzoeken Inspectie van het Onderwijs, ICILS, to gain insight into development both for citizenship competencies and digital literacy.  
4. To monitor developments in relation to citizenship education, the Ministry mainly relies on Peilonderzoeken Inspectie van het Onderwijs, ICCS, ADKS. Other scientific publications on citizenship competencies and education are also taken into consideration. Additionally, the Ministry will launch a more in-depth research project between 2025-2030 to investigate effective methods for teaching and monitoring citizenship competencies at the school level. 

Sources

1. https://www.nederlanddigitaal.nl/documenten/publicaties/2019/11/13/english-version-of-the-dutch-digitalisation-strategy-2.0  
2. https://www.nederlanddigitaal.nl/documenten/publicaties/2021/06/22/the-dutch-digitalisation-strategy-2021-eng  
3. https://www.onderwijsinspectie.nl/onderwerpen/peil-onderwijs/peil.digitale-geletterdheid-po 
4. Peil.Burgerschap einde basisonderwijs 2019-2020 | Rapport | Inspectie van het onderwijs (onderwijsinspectie.nl) 
5. ICCS | IEA.nl 
6. Adolescentenpanel Democratische Kernwaarden en Schoolloopbanen (adks.nl) 

1. The digitalisation agenda for primary and secondary education 2019 is an initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK), the Primary Education Council (PO Raad), the Secondary education council (VO Raad), and Kennisnet. 

Educational networks, representatives of the business community and the government organised round table debates between education sector parties and businesses and participants developed concrete measures aimed at strengthening digital skills in the primary and secondary education sector, leading to a revised primary and secondary education curriculum developed by teams of teachers and school administrators presented after the end of the summer 2019. Educational focal points include the aspect of digital literacy. Based on the proposals submitted by the development teams and the interim recommendations of the curriculum committee, the Netherlands Institute for Curriculum Development (SLO) will go on to develop attainment targets and learning outcomes in collaboration with subject matter experts and teachers. The quality and feasibility of the draft attainment targets will be tested in pilot schools over the course of two academic years and subsequently enshrined in law. 

2. The 2021 DDS is an update of the 2019 DDS due to the COVID-19 crisis and the fact that 2021 was an election year. The DDS is coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Ministry of Justice and Security, supported by the Digital Netherlands Council. 

According to the national authorities responding to the survey, other stakeholders include unions representing teachers and school leaders, umbrella organisations of school boards, and the Education Co-operative (Onderwijscoöperatie), which includes the five leading teachers’ organisations, and is pledged to support the quality of the teaching profession. 

Also involved are research institutes and other institutions, such as the National General Institute for Curriculum Development (National Expertisecentrum Leerplanontwikkeling, SLO); the Central Institute for Test Development (Centraal Instituut voor Toetsonwtikkeling, CITO); the Centre for Tests and Examinations (College voor Toets en Examinering, CVTE); the Netherlands’ School Leaders Academy (Nederlandse Schoolleiders Academie, NSA); the Foundation for Co-operation on Vocational Education, Training and the Labour Market (Samenwerking Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven, SBB); the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (Researchcentrum voor Onderwijs en Arbeidsmarkt, ROA). 

Sources

1. https://cdn-assets.inwink.com/b0269dea-af7b-4460-b29a- c40b9941c4c5/df0a1bd5-7569-436c-9dcc-d33b65e3eb98
2. https://www.nederlanddigitaal.nl/documenten/publicaties/2019/11/13/english-version-of-the-dutch-digitalisation-strategy-2.0  
   https://www.nederlanddigitaal.nl/documenten/publicaties/2021/06/22/the-dutch-digitalisation-strategy-2021-eng  

1. The Digitalisation Agenda for Primary and Secondary Education is meant to mark the start of a new discussion about education and digitalisation where everyone’s contribution is welcome. The agenda aims to promote effective cooperation between parties within and outside the education field, including private sector parties. 
2. The DDS is coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Ministry of Justice and Security, advised by the Digital Netherlands Council, and collaborating with the business community, knowledge institutions and local authorities through coalitions such as the AI Coalition, the Digital Society Alliance and the Data Sharing Coalition, or the Central/Regional Government Cooperation Agenda. 

Sources

1. https://www.nederlanddigitaal.nl/english/digitalisation-agenda-for-primary-and-secondary-education
2. https://www.nederlanddigitaal.nl/documenten/publicaties/2019/11/13/english-version-of-the-dutch-digitalisation-strategy-2.0  
   https://www.nederlanddigitaal.nl/documenten/publicaties/2021/06/22/the-dutch-digitalisation-strategy-2021-eng 

1. To evaluate developments in the area of digital literacy school and teacher self-evaluations are used, next to input gathered by national research initiatives, such as Schoolkostenmonitor, ICT monitor MYRA (by Kennisnet), PISA, ECP Monitor, Peilonderzoeken Inspectie van het Onderwijs, ICILS. Recent national evidence and research that has shaped current debates on digital education are Schoolkostenmonitor, ICT monitor, MYRA, PISA, ECP Monitor, Peilonderzoeken Inspectie van het Onderwijs, ICILS. The Ministry has commissioned a literature review on the didactic and pedagogical viability of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Education Lab on AI assesses the impacts of AI-solutions on teaching by experimenting with new applications of the technology together with education scientists and professionals in education.  
2. In relation to citizenship education, the main stakeholders involved in monitor studies and evaluations are teachers, schoolleaders, the Dutch inspectorate of education, the the Dutch Institute for Curriculum Development (SLO), the Primary Education Council (PO Raad) and the Secondary education council (VO Raad). 

Sources

1. Online survey with national authorities 
2. https://www.onderwijsinspectie.nl/onderwerpen/peil-onderwijs/peil.digitale-geletterdheid-po and Peil.Burgerschap einde basisonderwijs 2019-2020 | Rapport | Inspectie van het onderwijs (onderwijsinspectie.nl) ICCS | IEA.nl and Adolescentenpanel Democratische Kernwaarden en Schoolloopbanen (adks.nl)

1. The Dutch Media Literacy Network (Netverk Mediawijsheid), established by the Ministry of Education in 2008, consists of over a thousand organizations committed to media literacy, including libraries, cultural institutions, media coaches, developers of teaching material, educational publishers, research institutes, IT companies, media producers and platforms, educational institutions and care and welfare organizations. It is managed by 5 organisations (Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision, Kennisnet (expertise centre for ICT in education), ECP (an information society platform), HUMAN (Dutch public broadcaster) and KB (National Library of the Netherlands). The Networks runs various awareness raising activities and initiatives.  
2. Alliantie Digitaal Samenleven (Alliance digital living together) is a public private cooperation network with social organisations, companies and experts, to achieve digital inclusion. Among others, it conducts awareness raising and projects about digital citizenship.   
3. The Dutch Safer Internet Centre (SIC) consists of three organisations: ECP | Platform for the Information Society and Netwerk Mediawijsheid are part of the Awareness Centre. Offlimits is responsible for both the hotline and the helpline. 
4. The Dutch Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs includes the Ministry of Economic Affairs, ECP- Platform for the Information Society, Netverk Mediawijsheid, Girls love to code, Sterk Internet Voor ledereen and other partners. Its projects revolve around coding lessons for children, IT lessons in secondary schools, and talent grants in ICT. 
5. The Primary Education Council (PO Raad), created in 2008, is the sector association for primary education, composed of 5 primary education management organizations (Board Council, Bond KBO, LVGS, VBS, VOS-ABB) and the General Association of School Leaders (AVS)  
6. The Secondary Education Council (VO Raad) is an association of schools in secondary education, representing their interests with government, politics, business and social organizations, and facilitating the fulfilment of their duties. 
7. The Vodafone Foundation funds local initiatives to expand digital skills and digital education programmes 
8. The Digi Stronger Foundation (Stichting Digisterker) aims to support young people, adults and refugees in communicating digitally with the government and governmental organisations. It has developed a training programme for young people from 15 until 18 years old in pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO) and secondary vocational education (MBO): Do your digi-thing! Youngsters and the digital government. 
9. There are also various regular meetings with a variety of public and private organizations, for example, in the AI Coalition groups for Education and DutchEdTech.  
10. The expertise center for citizenship education (Experisepunt Burgerschap) and the expertise center for digital literacy (Expertisepunt Digitale Geletterdheid) are also a means of connecting public and private sector initiatives. 

Sources

1. The Dutch Media Literacy Network websites are funded by the European Commission as part of the programme Better Internet for Kids. 
2. The Dutch Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs is related to the EU Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs. 

Sources

1. https://netwerkmediawijsheid.nl/over-ons/about-dutch-media-literacy-network/  
2. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/national-coalitions  

1. Not a member of DCE promoters network 
2. Member of Networking European Citizenship Education Platform  
3. Active governmental member in Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 
4. Member of EU Media literacy expert group 
5. Member of Working Group on Digital Education: Learning, Teaching and Assessment (DELTA) 
6. Member of Global Education Network (GENE) 
7. Member of Commission Expert group on Safer Internet for Children. 
8. Join activities & Private sector: FeedbackFruits is a Bootstrapped Edtech Scale-up (>100 FTE)  
9. Member of BENEDMO – Belgium Netherlands Digital Media and Disinformation observatory 
10. The Netherlands and Flanders will jointly develop a method to continuously make teachers more digitally skilled and increase their knowledge of digital literacy, to be able to transfer their skills to pupils. They received €700,000 funding from the European Commission for this.  
11. The Netherlands are members of the Internet Governance Forum Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group (MAG). 
12. Member of Commission Working group on Schools 

Sources

Training on DCE to teachers and other professionals:
According to the national authorities responding to the survey, expertisepunt Burgerschap (https://www.expertisepuntburgerschap.nl/) is fully funded by the government and offers, among other things, support and training to teachers in relation to citizenship education.  

Translation and dissemination of DCE Recommendation:

No, according to the national authorities responding to the survey.