Vmbo is niet dom: over schoolniveau en vooroordelen

What is “vmbo” in the Dutch school system?

Vmbo is the lowest of three Dutch high-school tracks. The country sorts students at age 12: vwo prepares for university, havo for college, vmbo for vocational training. The cultural stigma sticks: vmbo carries a dom (“dumb”) tag, even though those kids grow up into well-paid plumbers, nurses, and electricians. The stratification is one of the most-criticized parts of the Dutch system, and OECD reports periodically push the country to delay the streaming until later.

In this NPO Zapp clip, a girl at a Rotterdam vmbo (Carnisse College) describes how classmates Lila and Bo cooled off: “Alsof ik dommer en slechter ben dan de mensen op het vwo.”