How strict is the Dutch “leerplichtwet”?
School missen voor PSV: mag dat eigenlijk?
A2 Dutch listening practice · Dutch · Picked for people who know a little
The Dutch Leerplichtwet (“Compulsory Education Act”) makes school attendance mandatory for kids aged 5 to 16, with extended kwalificatieplicht up to 18. The law is enforced strictly: gemeente leerplichtambtenaren (truancy officers) track absences, and parents who pull kids out of school for unauthorised reasons face fines starting around €100 per child per day. Permitted reasons include illness, religious observance, and a bruiloft of begrafenis. Going to a kampioenschap-celebration for PSV, Ajax, or any other club doesn’t make the cut.
In this clip, NOS Jeugdjournaal weighs the question: “Niet naar school gaan, omdat jouw voetbalclub landskampioen geworden is. Mag dat?”
How common are the words?
How common are the words in this A2 Dutch listening practice video?
How common in written Dutch
How common in spoken Dutch
Harder words in this video
These words are harder than A2. Here is what they mean.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-NL 2014 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸In Dutch education-policy and leerplicht coverage (Rijksoverheid, DUO, Onderwijsinspectie)
- ▸In Dutch parenting writing about school holidays and spijbel-rules (Kek Mama, Ouders van Nu, J/M Ouders)
- ▸In Dutch news features about leerplichtboetes (NRC, De Volkskrant, AD)
- ▸In Dutch sports coverage of championship celebrations (NOS Sport, PSV, Ajax)