- Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Netherlands)
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Netherlands 
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The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschappen; OCW) is the Dutch Ministry of Education: the position is occupied with the Dutch education policy, science policy, culture policy and the Netherlands Public Broadcasting.
The current minister is Marja van Bijsterveldt, she is aided by a state secretary, Halbe Zijlstra.
Contents
Responsibilities
The mission of the ministry is to "work for a smart, able and creative Netherlands"[1] The ministry is responsible for three fields of policy:
- The whole of education, from kindergarten, via primary education and secondary education to vocational training and higher education;
- Culture, arts and the public broadcasting;
- Science and innovation.
Organisation
The ministry is currently headed by one minister and two state secretary. The ministry's main office is located in the Hoftoren, the tallest building of The Hague. The ministry has around 2500 civil servants. The civil service is headed by a secretary general and a deputy secretary general, who head a system of three directorates general:
- Primary and Secondary Education;
- Higher Education, Professional Training and Sciences;
- and Culture and Media.
It has several autonomous agencies:
- Central Financial Institution, which is responsible for the execution of financial policies:
- Institute Collection Netherlands;
- National Archive;
- Government Service for Archeology, Cultural Landscape and Monuments;
- Education Inspection;
- Cultural Conservation Inspection;
- Council for Science and Technology; Policy;
- Council for Education;
- and the Council for Culture.
The main office in the centre of The Hague
History
The predecessor of the ministry, the Ministry of Education, Arts and Sciences was founded in 1918, as it became autonomous from the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. It was founded as a result of the resolution of the conflict about the equalization of the finance for religious and public schools. During the German occupation the ministry was renamed Department for Education, Sciences and Cultural Conservation[2] and a separate Department for Propaganda and Arts. In 1965 the department for arts was integrated into the new Ministry of Culture, Recreation and Social Work. In 1982 this cultural department was integrated into the Ministry of Health. In 1996 cultural department returned to the Ministry of Education.
Ministers
Since 1989 the following politicians have been Minister of Education, Culture and Science
- 2010-present Marja van Bijsterveldt (CDA)
- 2010-present Halbe Zijlstra (VVD, state secretary for culture)
- 2010 André Rouvoet (ChristenUnie, responsible for primary education)
- 2007-2010 Marja van Bijsterveldt (CDA, state secretary responsible for secondary education and from 2010 also responsible for science, higher education, emancipation and culture)
- 2007-2010 Ronald Plasterk (PvdA, responsible for science, higher education and culture)
- 2007-2010 Sharon Dijksma (PvdA, state secretary responsible for primary education and emancipation)
- 2002-2007 Maria van der Hoeven (CDA, responsible for primary and secondary education)
- 2006 Bruno Bruins (VVD, state secretary responsible for higher education and science)
- 2003-2006 Medy van der Laan (D66, state secretary responsible for culture and media)
- 2002-2004 Annette Nijs (VVD, state secretary responsible for higher education and science)
- 2004-2006 Mark Rutte (VVD, state secretary responsible for higher education and science)
- 2002 Cees van Leeuwen (LPF, state secretary responsible for culture and media)
- 1998-2002 Loek Hermans (VVD, responsible for higher education and science)
- 1998-2002 Karin Adelmund (PvdA, state secretary responsible for primary and secondary education)
- 1998-2002 Rick van der Ploeg (PvdA, state secretary responsible for culture and media)
- 1994-1998 Jo Ritzen (PvdA, responsible for higher education and science)
- 1994-1998 Aad Nuis (D66, state secretary responsible for culture and media)
- 1994-1998 Tineke Netelenbos (PvdA, state secretary responsible for primary and secondary education)
See also
References
External links
Structure and process StructureGovernmentMinisters, including Ministers without Portfolio, chaired by the Prime Minister of the Netherlands and one or more Deputy Prime Minister of the NetherlandsMinisters, including Ministers without Portfolio and State SecretariesProcessCurrent ministries General Affairs • Interior and Kingdom Relations • Foreign Affairs • Finance • Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation • Security and Justice • Defence • Education, Culture and Science • Infrastructure and the Environment • Health, Welfare and Sport • Social Affairs and Employment •Cabinets Schimmelpenninck • De Kempenaer-Donker Curtius • Thorbecke I • Van Hall-Donker Curtius • Van der Brugghen • Rochussen • Van Hall-Van Heemstra • Van Zuylen van Nijevelt-Van Heemstra •Thorbecke II • Fransen van de Putte •Van Zuylen van Nijevelt • Van Bosse-Fock • Thorbecke III • De Vries-Fransen van de Putte • Heemskerk-Van Lynden van Sandenburg • Kappeyne van de Coppello • Van Lynden van Sandenburg • Heemskerk Azn. • Mackay • Van Tienhoven • Röell • Pierson • Kuyper • De Meester • Heemskerk • Cort van der Linden • Ruijs de Beerenbrouck I • Ruijs de Beerenbrouck II • Colijn I • De Geer I • Ruijs de Beerenbrouck III • Colijn II • Colijn III • Colijn IV • Colijn V • De Geer II • Gerbrandy I • Gerbrandy II • Gerbrandy III • Schermerhorn-Drees • Beel I • Drees-Van Schaik • Drees I • Drees II • Drees III • Beel II • De Quay • Marijnen • Cals • Zijlstra • De Jong • Biesheuvel I • Biesheuvel II • Den Uyl • Van Agt I • Van Agt II • Van Agt III • Lubbers I • Lubbers II • Lubbers III • Kok I • Kok II • Balkenende I • Balkenende II • Balkenende III • Balkenende IV • RuttePortal:Politics Categories:- Dutch ministries
- Education in the Netherlands
- Science and technology in the Netherlands
- Dutch culture
- Culture ministries
- Education ministries
- Science ministries
- Ministries established in 1918
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