Education Recovers After the Corona Crisis

The corona crisis and the closure of educational institutions during lockdowns had major consequences for pupils, students, teachers, and researchers. In 2021, the then government decided to temporarily invest additional multi-year funds in education. The program for higher education ended in 2024, and in summer 2025 for primary and secondary education. With this temporary investment, various interventions were implemented to support pupils and students.

The NP Education is the first program encouraging schools to use proven effective interventions. Schools could choose from a menu of measures such as smaller class sizes, instruction in small groups, or the deployment of (extra) teaching assistants. The funds were also used to ensure that over 9,000 researchers with temporary contracts could complete their (corona-delayed) research.

Koen Becking, State Secretary of OCW: The NP Education shows great results. All appreciation for the tireless dedication of schools, boards, teachers, and other education professionals during and after the corona pandemic. While the pandemic flared up again at the start of NP Education, schools immediately got to work in the interest of the pupil. The recovery in primary education of learning achievements and attention to the wellbeing of all pupils shows that the hard work was not in vain. At the same time, the situation in secondary education shows the importance of continuing to work mainly on students basic skills. This will be worked on intensively in the coming period through, among other things, the Masterplan Basic Skills and the new curriculum.

Gouke Moes, Minister of OCW: The corona years have had a significant impact on our pupils and students. Your school and study years should be wonderful years, in which social life is so important, and you go through major learning developments. Instead, young people ended up in social isolation and experienced learning and study delays. With the help of NP Education, professionals in the education sector have worked to improve student wellbeing and catch up on study delays. Kudos to these professionals and the pupils and students, and good to see that things are improving.

In MBO, HBO, and universities, study delays due to the corona pandemic decreased significantly. In 2022, 32% of students reported study delays due to corona, now only 8%. However, a larger group of pupils and students who transitioned from primary to secondary education or from secondary to higher education during the pandemic have proven to be more vulnerable.

Learning achievements in primary education are recovering. Pupils in primary education caught up on basic skills, bringing learning achievements back to pre-corona crisis levels. In the lower grades of secondary education, learning achievements have not yet recovered despite all efforts. Attention to basic skills therefore remains a priority for the current cabinet, which is working hard on this through the Masterplan Basic Skills and the new curriculum.

During the corona pandemic, the wellbeing of pupils and students was under pressure; now pupils and students in all education sectors feel better. Pupils in secondary education are as satisfied with their lives as before the pandemic. In higher education, things are also improving. In 2022, 23% of students experienced (very) poor mental health; in 2025, this is 12%. Attention to wellbeing has been structurally embedded in education, and support structures at educational institutions have improved. Furthermore, after NP Education, work continues to strengthen student wellbeing, for example with the MBO Work Agenda and the National Framework for Student Wellbeing (higher education).

The evaluation research shows that closures of educational institutions had a profound impact on the wellbeing and learning achievements of pupils and students. Therefore, closures should be avoided or minimized as much as possible in the future.