If you ask a person what comes up when they think about the Netherlands, they probably all mention the colourful tulips, beautiful windmills, the famous dykes and, of course, wooden clogs and delicious cheese. However, there is much more to know about the Netherlands, and not only that the Netherlands often ranks among the top ten of desirable places in the world to live and work.
The Netherlands is one of the smallest countries in Europe and the whole world. The Netherlands is well known for its liberal social policies, trading traditions of import and export, fights against the sea and its diverse multicultural society.
'The Netherlands' literally means 'Low Lands’, because a big part of the country is situated below sea level. The low-lying areas consist mainly of polders, flat stretches of land surrounded by dikes to keep the water at bay. The Dutch have a saying “God made the Earth, but the Dutch made Holland”! The North Sea would have washed away the Netherlands if the Dutch had not erected defenses to protect their land.
The Netherlands is often referred to as Holland, but Holland (North and South Holland) is actually two of the 12 provinces within the Netherlands.

Society

The Netherlands has (more or less) 17 million inhabitants and with over 400 people per square kilometer, it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. For decades the country’s historical ties with other parts of the world has brought foreigners to settle in the Netherlands, bringing some of their own ideas and cultures. Dutch society is now home to over 200 different nationalities, resulting in a broad religious diversity. As well as many churches, you will find mosques, synagogues and temples. More recently a large percentage of the population describes itself as ‘non-religious’ and fewer people attend church. Throughout the country many churches have been refurbished into apartments.

Egalitarian society

The Netherlands has an egalitarian society, all people have the same rights and are treated equally under the same circumstances. Status and respect are obtained through study and work and not through family ties or old age. Every person is equal and Dutch people ‘like to be as normal as possible’. Another famous Dutch saying is “doe maar gewoon dan doe je al gek genoeg” (“just act normal, that’s crazy enough”).
The Dutch believe in equal rights, equal responsibilities and equal treatment, with the law as the authority, no matter who you are. CEO’s get their own coffee at work; the prime minister often commutes on his bike, and the children of the Royal Family go to a regular public school.

Royal Family

The Netherlands has a fairly young monarchy. The Kingdom of the Netherlands was established in 1815 and King William I was its first ruler. The first king of Holland was from the House of Orange-Naussau.
The origin of Holland’s motto, “Je maintiendrai” (I will maintain), the colours of the flag and the national colour orange may all be found in the House of Orange-Nassau. That’s the reason the colour orange is always dominant during sport events. 
Princess Beatrix was the reigning monarch for over 30 years. In 2013 her eldest son, Willem-Alexander, succeeded to the throne with his wife Maxima. The monarch has limited power: the King has immunity, but the real power lies with the ministers. The monarch is neutral and does not make announcements about political topics.

King’s Day

King’s Day (formerly Queen’s Day) is probably the best party in Holland. Every year on April 27th, the Dutch celebrate King Willem-Alexander’s birthday. In every village, town and city people organise festivities, street parties, music concerts, flea markets and fun fairs. The fun always starts the night before with a lot of parties and music. Take a trip to Amsterdam on King’s Day - the capital bursts with orange in the streets, canals and parks. It’s the biggest street party of the year.

Diversity

Diversity is taken very seriously in the Netherlands. It is illegal to discriminate against anybody for reasons of race, religious belief, gender, sexual persuasion or age. Women have equal rights and equal respect in the Netherlands, however, compared to other Western countries relatively few are in top management positions. More and more families enjoy the benefits of a dual income and more women choose to work. It’s easy to find part time work, both for men as for women.

Language

Although Dutch is the national language, most people also speak English and often another foreign language like German or French. Even Dutch universities offer more and more courses in English and sometimes even in German. But there is another official language in the Netherlands, which is Frisian, which is spoken in the Dutch province of Friesland.
Last but not least: 10 Fun Fact of the Netherlands:

1. Dutch men are the tallest in the world
2. The Dutch are the largest consumers of licorice (drop) in the world
3. The Netherlands was the first country to legalise same-sex marriage
4. Most of Amsterdam is built on wooden poles 12 meters deep
5. French fries are served with mayonnaise
6. The Netherlands is as flat as a pancake
7. There are more bicycles than people here
8. The Dutch greet each other with three kisses on the cheek
9. Schiphol airport is situated more than 4 meters below sea level
10. Keukenhof is the largest flower garden in the world

Contradictions

Despite the strong Calvinist background, homosexual marriages, sex on TV and legalised soft drugs are part of daily life. The legal age for drinking alcohol is 18, for all alcoholic drinks. Buying a small amount of soft drugs is legal and available in coffee shops for anybody over 18. The International School has a zero tolerance policy concerning the use of drugs and alcohol. For more information see the School Directory.

ISH DMR Parent Representatives

Under Dutch Law schools must have a Medezeggenschapsraad (MR). This is to ensure that school management receives all information from all key stakeholders (staff, students and parents). As the ISH is part of the Verenigde Scholen J.A. Alberdingk Thijm with an overarching MR, within the ISH we have the DMR. Parent representatives of the DMR work to represent parents’ interests as they contribute to the decision-making process and subsequently add to the proper functioning of the school organization in all its objectives. The DMR has rights such as the right to make proposals, but also a particular right to give advice and consent on behalf of all parents. In addition, the DMR also has a legal function for parents to address their concerns, disputes, etc. with the school management. To be in touch with ISH DMR parent representatives (Mrs. L. Prakoso and Mrs. P. Cloyd-Lighaam) you can send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.