Subject clusters

Education programme in the second stage of senior general secondary education (havo) and pre-university education (vwo) with a relatively fixed package of subjects in which pupils have to take their final exams. Each subject cluster prepares pupils for certain disciplines in higher education.

In school year 1998/'99 a new system was introduced in the second stage of havo and vwo education. One important new element was the introduction of subject clusters, as a result of which pupils no longer have a completely free choice of subjects in which to take exams. Pupils in years 4 and 5 of havo and years 4, 5 and 6 of vwo may choose between nature and social subject clusters.

The nature subject clusters consist of:

• Nature and technology, with subjects such as advanced mathematics, chemistry and physics;
• Nature and health, with subjects such as basic or advanced mathematics, chemistry and biology;
• Combined nature cluster (combination of the two above).

The social subject clusters consist of:

• Economics and society;
• Culture and society;
• Combined social cluster (combination of the two above).