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School garden popularity growing

School garden popularity growing

The school garden is flourishing. While in 2021 only 19 percent of primary school teachers made use of the school garden, four years later this percentage has risen to 27 percent. This is shown by recent research by DUO Onderwijsonderzoek commissioned by the School Garden Alliance. However, there are major differences between provinces. The absolute frontrunner in school gardening is primary education in Zeeland. At the bottom are the primary schools in the province of Flevoland.

Towards an integrated approach to gambling in education

Towards an integrated approach to gambling in education

A relatively large number of young adults aged 18 to 23 gamble. This is despite the fact that young adults are at greater risk of experiencing negative consequences from gambling. Additional protection for this group is therefore needed. Daphne Visser, a scientific researcher focusing on youth at the Trimbos Institute, explains in this blog what the first steps are. She discusses the new professional development training offered by the Helder op School prevention programme, which teaches education professionals to identify and discuss gambling problems among their pupils or students and to support them.

Social safety in the State of Education 2025

Social safety in the State of Education 2025

“More than ever, an additional focus on citizenship education is needed,” says Alida Oppers, Inspector General of Education, in the State of Education 2025. “Many schools are still struggling with this important task. Teachers, school leaders and administrators deserve support in the challenging task of ensuring calm, tolerance and respectful dialogue.” School & Safety responds to the State of Education regarding citizenship and social safety in education.

Number of outdoor lessons in primary education increasing

Number of outdoor lessons in primary education increasing

The number of outdoor lessons in primary education has increased over the past ten years, from fourteen times a year in 2016 to twenty times a year in 2025. This is evident from research among DUO teachers commissioned by IVN. The teachers cite increased physical activity among children, providing a pleasant change, the health benefits of fresh air, and the fact that children learn more through play as the main reasons for giving outdoor lessons.

Food education in childcare centers and schools matters

Food education in childcare centers and schools matters

Food education in childcare centers and schools matters. That was the conclusion of the project ‘Assessment of the Effects of Food Education for Young People’, carried out by Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, the Louis Bolk Institute and Maastricht University. The researchers focused on food education in the broadest sense: lessons, experiential learning, food provision and nutrition policies for children and young people (aged 0–18) in childcare centers, primary schools and secondary schools.

Rutgers, Atria and COC join forces to combat the manosphere and sexual misconduct

Rutgers, Atria and COC join forces to combat the manosphere and sexual misconduct

Nearly half of Dutch girls experience sexually transgressive behavior. With the growing popularity of misogynistic influencers from the manosphere, such as Andrew Tate, it is more essential than ever that society leave no room for sexually transgressive behavior. That is why Rutgers, Atria and COC are launching the new campaign ‘Small !@#%?-things become big !@#%?-things’ to address sexual misconduct at its source. The organizations are encouraging young people, specifically boys, not to participate in sexist remarks, thereby establishing a new social norm. The campaign is also relevant for schools.

First school garden created according to the IVN School Garden Approach

First school garden created according to the IVN School Garden Approach

On 22 March, the Oosterwoldschool Sofia in Almere got their hands in the soil. Together with parents and teachers, work began on creating a school garden. It is the first school garden to be created according to the new IVN School Garden Approach. This approach helps not only with creating a school garden, but also with its management and educational use. To ensure that the programme meets the needs and working methods of primary schools, the approach is being tested at several schools during this school garden season. And the first test garden is now a reality.

From grey to green: register your school!

From grey to green: register your school!

Following the success of the first edition, Praxis and Jantje Beton are joining forces once again to make schoolyards greener. Last year, hundreds of primary school pupils let their creativity run free by drawing and submitting their ideal green schoolyard. Three winning schools were selected, and the schoolyards have since been made greener together with the children, parents and staff. This year, three more primary schools will have the opportunity to transform their grey schoolyard into a green oasis. Registration is open until and including 16 May 2025.

Plan to reintroduce compulsory school swimming scrapped

Plan to reintroduce compulsory school swimming scrapped

The plan to reintroduce compulsory school swimming has been scrapped. On Friday, 4 April 2025, State Secretary Vincent Karremans concluded that it would be too expensive and too burdensome for schools, which, in his view, should focus primarily on basic skills such as language and arithmetic. This decision followed the report Making a Splash for Swimming Safety by SEO Economic Research, which examined the costs and benefits of reintroducing the programme.

Wageningen University & Research can continue with Taste Lessons for another four years

Wageningen University & Research can continue with Taste Lessons for another four years

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) works with 17 companies in the Food Education Platform (VEP) to make children more aware of healthy and sustainable food choices. With the Taste Lessons programme, VEP now reaches 80 percent of primary schools. Over the next four years, the platform will continue to develop up-to-date food education, thanks to new funding under the Top Sector Policy, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN).

Healthy Child Centre in Motion measures children’s physical activity with activity monitors

Healthy Child Centre in Motion measures children’s physical activity with activity monitors

Since 2019, Maastricht Sport has been collecting data to monitor and further develop the ‘Healthy Child Centre in Motion’ (GKB) programme. Maastricht Sport does this through annual MQ (motor skills) and LQ (lifestyle) scans at all participating schools. In recent years, Maastricht Sport, in collaboration with Fontys Sport & Exercise, has made additional investments in extensive monitoring of children’s physical activity using activity monitors.

A look behind the scenes at the Healthy Primary School of the Future in Limburg

A look behind the scenes at the Healthy Primary School of the Future in Limburg

Have you noticed that healthy snacks, school lunches and more physical activity at primary schools are topics of discussion within your municipality? Are you considering the possibilities of introducing the healthy nutrition and physical activity elements of the Healthy Primary School of the Future (GBT) at schools in your municipality? And would you like to see how other schools have done this? Then come and take a look in Landgraaf on 19 or 27 May.

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