Schools seek alternatives to four-day school week
Amid staff shortages, primary schools are trying to maintain teaching time in other ways.
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Primary schools are looking for solutions to the teacher shortage without introducing a permanent four-day school week. A recent survey reports that schools are increasingly using different timetables, additional support and a revised distribution of teaching hours.
A four-day school week is not considered a normal solution to staff shortages in the Netherlands. According to the government, primary schools may make limited departures from the five-day week and, since August 2026, can take part in an experiment with more flexible school hours.
Under the experiment, participating schools may schedule their holidays differently and organise a four-day school week more often. According to the national government, the experiment runs until July 2030 inclusive and is intended, among other things, to provide insight into the effects on educational quality, continuity and equal opportunities.
In practice, schools are also opting for other measures. These include flexible school hours, distributing subjects differently across the week, cooperation between groups and deploying additional support staff. The combination chosen varies by school board and region.
The teacher shortage remains an important cause. UWV expects an average shortage of more than 2,500 full-time equivalent positions in education in 2026, although the scale varies by education sector and subject area. OCW reports that 1.9 per cent of vacancies in primary education went unfilled in the 2024–2025 school year.
A four-day school week means fewer regular teaching days. According to the ministry, schools must continue to meet the statutory requirements for teaching time.
For parents, the key issue is whether a measure is occasional or permanent. Schools must explain their timetable and departures from the normal school week in the school guide and in communications with parents. The education inspectorate supervises compliance with the statutory teaching time.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- An experiment with flexible school hours is running from 2026 to 2030.
- Participating primary schools may organise a four-day school week more often under the experiment.
- There is a nationwide shortage of teachers.
Left
Arguments A four-day school week must not become a permanent cut to education. The government should invest in salaries, smaller classes and proper support.
Values Equal opportunities, public services and the right to a full education.
Consequences A shorter week could particularly affect children who receive less support at home.
Centre
Arguments Schools need room to provide locally tailored solutions, as long as statutory teaching time, quality and transparency for parents are safeguarded.
Values Practical feasibility, continuity and oversight.
Consequences Flexibility can absorb temporary shortages, but requires evaluation to prevent emergency measures from becoming permanent.
Right
Arguments School boards should be given room to organise staff and teaching time efficiently. Not every problem requires national rules.
Values Autonomy, responsibility and efficiency.
Consequences Greater local freedom may produce solutions more quickly, but could also create wider differences between schools.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The legal scope for flexible school hours and the nationwide shortage figures were checked against government sources. The current survey of school practices is less extensive, so no figures for the number of schools have been given.
- confirmed The Netherlands is examining flexible school hours from 2026 to 2030. — Confirmed by the national government. source
- confirmed Participating schools may organise a four-day school week more often. — Confirmed by the national government. source
- confirmed UWV expects a shortage of more than 2,500 full-time equivalent positions in 2026. — Mentioned by UWV in its education labour-market information. source
- confirmed In primary education, 1.9 per cent of vacancies went unfilled in 2024–2025. — Figure from OCW in cijfers. source
Editor's note
Current reporting on alternatives is limited; the legal frameworks and shortage figures have been publicly confirmed. Precise figures for the number of schools using alternatives are not available.Sources
- Scholen kiezen bij lerarentekort andere oplossingen dan vierdaagse schoolweek — nu.CW
- Experiment met flexibele schooltijden in het basisonderwijs — Rijksoverheid
- Lerarentekorten houden aan — UWV
- OCW in cijfers: lerarentekorten — Ministerie van OCW
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „onderwijs basisonderwijs”
- Trouw — „onderwijs basisonderwijs”
- NRC — „onderwijs basisonderwijs”