Backpacks on flagpoles: 182,000 secondary school students find out if they're graduating

Over 182,000 secondary school students will find out on Thursday whether they have passed their final exams. If they did, they can celebrate by hanging their school bag on a flag. For those who need it, a resit will follow shortly. The exact number of students who passed will not be announced until the autumn.

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports that the majority of final exam candidates, nearly 95,000, are in VMBO. Over 51,000 HAVO students and over 36,000 VWO students also wrote their final exams this year. Last year, over 181,000 young people took their family exams. This year, there were slightly more VMBO students than last year.

According to the statistics agency, there are slightly more girls than boys in this year’s graduating classes, except in VMBO, where there are 48,000 boys and 46,000 girls. A fifth of final exam students live in Zuid-Holland. Approximately 2 percent live in Zeeland, the lowest proportion.

The first examination period began on May 8 and lasted through May 27. During that period, the National Student Action Committee (LAKS) received nearly 339,000 complaints regarding the final exams, significantly more than last year.

The second examination period, for students who have not yet passed, begins on June 16 and lasts a week. These results will be announced on June 30.

Students in special education took their exams during different periods. They will receive their results between Thursday and the end of August.