The Netherlands still lags behind in Western Europe when it comes to science students, according to the report Education at a Glance published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) today.

No more than 4% of Dutch students graduate in subjects such as maths and information science the study said. And despite various government campaigns to encourage girls to study science subjects, only 15% of science students are female in Holland, compared to a European average of 25%. Strangely enough, kids at Dutch secondary schools score markedly high in maths.
The survey also found that the Netherlands spent 5% of its national income on education in 2003-2004, under the 6.6% European norm (7% in the US). Nevertheless with 71% of the Dutch population completing secondary school successfully, the country’s general educational level is well above the OECD average, the report said.
Furthermore, the report said that Dutch primary schools have improved their teacher-pupil ratio to 1 in 16, in line with the rest of Europe. They are however still behind at secondary school level with one teacher per 16 students compared to a European average of 1 to 12/13. And according to news website Nu.nl, teachers’ starting salaries in both primary and secondary schools are above the EU norm.