9.1 General context
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Main concepts
Erasmus+
At a global level, youth can participate in Erasmus+ Youth, which enables them to study, train, gain work experience and volunteer abroad. The programme’s main aim is boosting skills and employability in The Netherlands, among young people in particular. Erasmus+ also supports transnational partnerships between Education, Training and Youth institutions and organizations to foster collaboration and connect the worlds of Education and Work in order to tackle skills gaps in Europe. It also supports Dutch national efforts to modernize Education, Training and Youth systems.
In the field of sports, Erasmus+ funding supports projects that focus on the development, transfer and implementation of innovative ideas and practices in sports at European, national, regional and local levels. It also aims to increase collaborations between sports organizations and tackle issues like intolerance, discrimination, doping and match-fixing in sports. In short, Erasmus+ facilitates youth collaborations at a global level.
From 2021 until 2027, the European Commission has a budget of 26,2 billion euros for Erasmus+. The priorities of the new programme are making an impact, inclusion, digitalization, participation and Green Erasmus+ (sustainability, environment and climate). The programme is connected to the EU Youth Strategy, its three core areas of action (engage, connect and empower) and the European Youth Goals.
In their curriculum, UNESCO schools structurally address themes that are central to UNESCO policy. These include: peace and human rights, intercultural learning, sustainability and global citizenship. In The Netherlands, there are 75 Dutch schools (autumn 2022) for primary education, secondary education, post-secondary vocational education and teacher training colleges with the UNESCO school label.
Child Friendly Cities Nederland
Child Friendly Cities Nederland is part of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFC). It works to guide cities and other systems of local governance towards the inclusion of children’s rights as a key component of their goals, policies, programmes and structures.
In the Netherlands, municipalities have a growing interest in child friendly cities. A number of municipalities is already working on becoming a child friendly city or have already become a child friendly city. Child Friendly Cities value and actively promote the participation of children children and youth. Often, these cities have a children’s mayor and council.
Youth interest in global issues
Kaleidos research "Youth and the world"
In 2015, Kaleidos Research published a study about youth and the world. The research focused on sustainable behaviour of youth, with special attention for global citizenship among Dutch youth (12 – 17 years). The study shows that young people behave more sustainably than they did in the three previous years, when research was also conducted. Young people bought more second-hand items than in previous years, showed a more sustainable attitude with water and threw away less food. Also, more young people discussed the environment and environmental issues with friends or family. Nevertheless, more young people kept their phones plugged in, even when they were already charged. Furthermore, Dutch youth did not share their opinion about global issues online as much as before. One third of them preferred to travel by car with, for example, their parents, instead of riding a bike. The study concluded that there was an overall positive trend towards more sustainable behaviour, but more awareness and changes were necessary.
In terms of the refugee problem, young people were more self-conscious about interdependence of world issues than two years before the report was published. More young people believed that countries like The Netherlands should help developing countries with finding solutions for their problems. However, young people still felt that their own role and responsibility with regard to global problems was very small. Most young people did think that it is dangerous to neglect nature and that we should take care of it. All results are described in the research report.
Youth Impact, improving the world
Young Impact is a foundation that helps young people to improve the world in a way that suits them best. They travel throughout the country to get young people to take action for themes such as climate, society, diversity, equal opportunities and health. One-time or permanent actions. They do this with programs at schools and events such as Young Impact Day and the Young Impact Awards.
Almost half of Dutch young people (48%) have become more concerned about society during the corona crisis. This is evident from a representative survey done by Young Impact (2021). It shows that there is dissatisfaction with the extent to which politicians, schools and influencers do something about social problems.
Climate change
Since the end of the 2010s young people all over the world, including The Netherlands, have demonstrated against the insufficient governmental measures against climate change. For example Dutch secondary school pupils united during a Climate Strike (Klimaatstaking) and the Young Climate Movement (Jonge Klimaatbeweging), consisting of more than 50 youth organizations in The Netherlands, organizes campaigns and lobby activities.
File on climate change
On their website the Netherlands Youth Institute (NJI) provides a file on climate change. It shows how climate change affects the lives, growing up and parenting of children and young people. It gives information and offers scope for action to young people, parents, professionals and policymakers.
Young people have a more positive attitude towards Europe
Young people are more positive about Europe and cultural diversity than older generations, according to a report ‘Dealing with the big world Globalization in public opinion and at work’ by The Netherlands Institute for Social Research (Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau) distributed in 2021. Online communication across borders is also more common for young people up to 35 years of age. They maintain contacts with foreign people by use of social media or email three times as much as older people and more frequently buy products from foreign websites.
Education in citizenship
In 2016, the Netherlands Initiative for Educational Research (Nationaal Regieorgaan Onderwijsonderzoek NRO) published a research on the role of schools with regard to citizenship of pupils. It appears that many schools and teachers were still searching for ways to integrate citizenship in education. The study resulted in a recommendation for teachers, school leaders and policymakers on the inclusion of citizenship in education. Important elements of citizenship education are: a positive school climate, a curriculum broad approach to citizenship, a coherent didactic and pedagogical approach, attention for values, a coherent programme and a supportive environment.
Also in 2016 the Inspectorate of Education concluded that often the lessons on citizenship depend on the teacher and that results remain unclear. Four years later (2020) a new study by the same inspectorate showed that the current framework for citizenship education should be adapted to clarify the expectations concerning the basic values of the democratic constitutional state and attention for the constitution. See the report Burgerschapsonderwijs en het omgaan met verschillen in morele opvattingen (Citizenship education and dealing with differences in moral opinions).
New law on citizenship education
Since August 1, 2021, there is a new citizenship education law for primary and secondary schools. This has tightened the legal obligation to provide citizenship education.
The new citizenship law requires schools to evaluate the results and to account for them. The law does not prescribe how to do this. Schools can make their own choices in this regard. It is important that the way in which it is monitored provides a good picture of the competencies and provides insight into knowledge, attitudes and skills. A standard is also required to be able to state in a reasoned manner whether a result is sufficient. A standardized measuring instrument can be used for this, such as Citizenship Measuring, which gives insight into citizenship knowledge, attitudes and skills of students.