How to open a temporary school for Ukrainian students?

Since a significant part of the Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands are children of school age, the government and local authorities were actively engaged in resolving the issue of organizing the educational process back in March-April. In our April news we wrote about the opening of the first temporary schools, along with the education of Ukrainians in schools for immigrants (nieuwkomersscholen), transitional classes, special classes, and so on.

Today, the procedure for opening a temporary school for Ukrainians has been finally regulated. From January 1, 2023, these schools are required to register students in the Register of Participants in the Educational Process (Register Onderwijsdeelnemers, ROD).

The decision to open a temporary school

The presence or absence of a need to open a temporary school for Ukrainians depends on local conditions. In some regions, the influx of children and youth from Ukraine is too large; moreover, many children have special educational needs. Based on this, school boards may decide to create a temporary educational institution for Ukrainians. Such an educational institution must be notified to the Executive Agency for Education (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, DUO).

For reference! The Executing Agency for Education (DUO) finances the educational process, organizes examinations for schoolchildren and students, as well as integration examinations, and legalizes diplomas.

Basic requirements and conditions for opening a temporary school

• Report the school before it opens or as soon as possible after it starts.
• Consult with the municipality and with other schools in the region to coordinate the opening.
• Simultaneously with the notice of opening or within a maximum of 2 months after the start of work, provide accommodation plan - details here.
• The duration of a temporary educational institution is a maximum of 2 years.

How to open a temporary school: step by step

Stage 1. Notification of the opening of the school through the portal DUO

1. Log in to your personal account on the DUO portal: https://zakelijk.duo.nl/zakelijk/portaal/dashboard.
2. Fill out the form "Report the opening of a temporary educational institution" (Tijdelijke onderwijsvoorziening melden).
3. Attach the layout (furnishing) plan. If you do not do this right away, then a separate plan can be submitted using the "Additional Information" form (Formulier extra informatie doorgeven).
4. If the municipality provides you with a separate room for a temporary school, then you need to attach a document to it.
5. Until the form is submitted, you can make changes or add attachments. Any changes or additions can then only be made via the Formulier extra informatie doorgeven, such as changes in the number of expected students, a change of address, or a closure.
6. If you submitted your Temporary School Notice prior to August 1, 2022, and not via DUO, please email the changes to ico@duo.nl. You can also email the furnishing plan if you haven't already. Be sure to include a copy of the original notice in case of changes.
7. After submitting the form, you will immediately receive a confirmation of receipt and a reference number by e-mail. Save this number.

Stage 2. Registration in RIO and ROD

The temporary school and its students must be registered in two registers:

1. Registration Intellingen en Opleidingen (RIO) - register of educational institutions of primary, secondary and higher education. Temporary schools for Ukrainians are added to a separate category "Temporary educational institution for displaced persons".
2. Register Onderwijsdeelnemers (ROD) is a register of participants in the educational process. From January 1, 2023, this is a must! 

Note! On the page with a description of the procedure for registering students in the ROD, a column appeared in the Experiment section: inschrijving van een Oekraïense leerling op een Tijdelijke onderwijsvoorziening voor ontheemden (TOV) (vanaf 1 januari 2023) - the enrollment of a Ukrainian student in a temporary educational institution for displaced persons (from January 1, 2023 .).

What information is needed to complete the DUO notification form?

A summary of the procedure for opening a temporary school can be found on the official government portal. Specifically, it states that the following information will be required when completing the DUO notification form:

• the name and code of the educational institution on the territory of which the temporary school for Ukrainians will operate;
• temporary school address;
• start date (if the school is already in operation) or expected start date;
• the number of students, the number of groups or classes;
• if applicable: specific refugee reception center with which the school is associated;
• information about consultations and coordination with local authorities, with representatives of other schools in the region;
• if applicable: a document on the allocation of premises for the school;
• name, phone number and email address of the contact person.

More information about temporary schools and other aspects of organizing the educational process for Ukrainians in the Netherlands can be found in Education guide for children and youth from Ukraine.