A quarter of children who are in pre-college streams at secondary school (havo) will be downgraded to trade schools (vmbo) by the end of the third year, according to research by Trouw.

In total, some 10,000 pupils a year are affected.
Although pupils move between levels in all sectors of education, the gap between havo and vmbo is most difficult to bridge because it usually involves going to a different school, Trouw says.
The Dutch secondary school system is streamed from age 12, based on primary school teachers advice and tests.