Reading performance falls in secondary education
Inspectorate sees more stable results in primary schools, but continued decline among older pupils.
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Pupils’ reading skills, vocabulary and maths performance in secondary education continue to decline. This is reported by the Inspectorate of Education in The State of Education 2026, which also describes major differences between regions and schools.
The Inspectorate of Education does not identify a uniform trend across all age groups. In primary education, results in language and maths are reasonably stable, according to the inspectorate, and have returned to around pre-pandemic levels. In secondary education, by contrast, performance in reading skills, vocabulary and mathematics continues to decline.
The inspectorate also refers to mbo. According to it, one-third of mbo students at level 2 are not sufficiently proficient in language to manage independently. In addition, too many students in secondary education and mbo leave their programmes without a diploma.
The figures do not mean that every pupil is performing worse. The inspectorate instead emphasises major differences between schools and regions. Where a child grows up still often influences their educational path and their chances of ending up in a suitable educational setting.
These differences are visible, among other things, in the adjustment of school recommendations. When the progression test indicates a higher level than the provisional recommendation, a school must in principle adjust the recommendation, unless doing so would not be in the pupil’s interests. The inspectorate identifies major regional differences in how often this happens.
The consequences for the labour market cannot easily be expressed in a single figure. Reading skills are a foundation for further education, vocational training and processing information at work. The inspectorate warns that weak basic skills may make the transition to further education and the labour market more difficult, but it does not say that every pupil with low scores will automatically end up without work.
The Netherlands has several instruments for measuring language and reading, and they do not all measure the same thing. PIRLS, for example, focuses on pupils in year six of primary school and is conducted every five years. The next assessment will take place in 2026, with results expected in 2027. That future assessment may provide new information about primary education, but it does not directly say anything about the current decline in secondary education.
The inspectorate does not attribute responsibility to a single cause. It points to differences in quality assurance, school leadership, educational practice and the circumstances surrounding pupils. The cabinet calls basic skills a priority, but the question of which approach works best remains a matter of education policy and professional debate.
The trend therefore calls for more than just higher test scores. Schools need to gain insight into pupils’ mastery of language and maths, while school governors and the government need to create the conditions for good education. The inspectorate is identifying a problem; the choice between curriculum changes, additional support, further training or other measures lies with politicians and the education sector.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The inspectorate reports declining performance in secondary education.
- There are major differences between schools and regions.
- The government calls basic skills a priority.
Left
Arguments A left-wing approach will emphasise that differences in home circumstances, poverty, school segregation and access to support are highly significant. In this view, additional public funding and smaller classes would be needed to make opportunities more equal.
Values Equal opportunities, social justice and public responsibility are central.
Consequences Without additional support, educational disadvantage risks translating into unequal access to further education and work.
Centre
Arguments The institutional approach seeks a combination of clear national objectives, professional freedom for schools and better quality assurance. It will particularly want to know which approach demonstrably works in which school.
Values Educational quality, feasibility and equal basic standards carry weight together.
Consequences A targeted approach may be more effective than a single national measure, but it requires time, good data and stable school leadership.
Right
Arguments A right-wing approach will emphasise clear knowledge objectives, discipline, measurable results and the responsibility of schools and parents to put basic skills at the centre.
Values Performance, responsibility and preparation for work come first.
Consequences Greater emphasis on testing and core subjects may improve results, but critics say it could come at the expense of broad development or pupils who need additional support.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The educational findings are based on the Inspectorate of Education and OCW. The text avoids presenting general trends as predictions about individual pupils.
- confirmed Reading skills, vocabulary and mathematics performance are declining in secondary education. — Explicitly mentioned by the Inspectorate of Education. source
- confirmed Results for language and maths in primary education are reasonably stable. — Explicitly mentioned in the inspectorate’s speech. source
- confirmed One-third of mbo students at level 2 are not sufficiently proficient in language to manage independently. — Mentioned by the Inspectorate of Education. source
- confirmed The next PIRLS assessment will take place in 2026, with results expected in 2027. — Confirmed by OCW in figures. source
Editor's note
The inspectorate confirms declining performance in secondary education and differences between schools and regions. The relationship with labour-market prospects is a risk and a policy question, not an exact prediction for individual pupils.Sources
- Speech De Staat van het Onderwijs 2026 — Inspectie van het Onderwijs
- De Staat van het Onderwijs 2026 — Inspectie van het Onderwijs
- Progress in International Reading Literacy Study — OCW in cijfers
- Reactie Staat van het Onderwijs — Rijksoverheid
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „onderwijs leesvaardigheid”
- de Volkskrant — „onderwijs leesvaardigheid”
- RTL Nieuws — „onderwijs leesvaardigheid”