As I approach room 1507 I hear loud yelling. I cannot understand what is being said because the words are in Dutch. I knock on the door and my friend, Imaan opens it. She holds her iPhone in her left hand and I catch a glimpse of Ama, her mother, in the Netherlands. Imaan motions for me to take a seat on her roommate’s bed and concludes her heated conversation with her mother before sitting on her bed across from me. In interviewing Imaan I had a unique experience to gain insight on the difference in education in America and the Netherlands from the point of view of a student who has studied in both countries.
Early Life Growing Up in the Netherlands
Yazz, Jinxx, and Imaan in Hattem.
Hattem’s main square.
Imaan was born in the Netherlands on October 3, 1997 in Leiderdorp with her twin sister Yazz. Her mother is originally from Kumasi, Ghana and her father is from Alphen aan de Rijn. Imaan also has a 12 year old brother named Jinxx. When Imaan was 4 years old her parents separated. Growing up she lived mainly with her mother in small town called Hattem which is located in the countryside. Her father lives in Amsterdam. While Imaan’s childhood closely resembles that of an American’s, some differences can be found from an educational standpoint.
Portrait of Yazz (left) and Imaan (right) at a young age.
Imaan and Yazz in NYC in August 2015.
Why Move 3000 Miles for School?
I asked Imaan why she wanted to study abroad in America. She explained that she decided to come to America because she felt the educational opportunities here were better than those she would be able to get in the Netherlands. She said, “First, everyone in my country gets an education. Everyone goes to the same university. They’re good but I wanted to study abroad to experience a different culture and diversify myself from the other students so that in the future I have a better chance of getting an international job stationed in the Netherlands.”
Imaan with her mother and family friend in Washington DC.
Differences Start in Elementary School
Imaan went to primary (elementary) school in Hattem. Her school was called Het Palet Hattem. Since her town has a low population, she and her sister had to go to middle and high school in the adjacent city, Zwolle. They went to a school called van der Capellen sg Zwolle which was 45 minutes from her house by bike.
Het Palet Hattem.
“It’s a 45-minute bike but everyone does it so it’s like 40 kids and it’s a lot of fun. But in the summer it’s really sweaty. It takes 15 minutes to go over the bridge on a good day. But when you don’t have the wind in your favor it’s a fucking shit show. If there is a hail storm you have to walk the bridge which we had. And our faces were red and basically bleeding. It wasn’t fun. Then when you’re 16 and if you’ve worked you can get a scooter and ride that to school because you don’t want to bike anymore after 3 years.”
van der Capellen sg Zwolle.
Imaan told me she found it incredibly odd that in America we have school buses. In the Netherlands everyone bikes to school or rides a scooter.
“We used to see the American school buses in movies and we were always a little jealous.”
High School Widens the Gap Between America and the Netherlands
In Holland they sort you into three different levels, and Imaan was placed on the highest level, called “Pre-University Level”. I asked how she was able to get the opportunity to come to America. She said that she worked very hard in high school, which in the Netherlands is from grades 7-12. This allowed her the opportunity to advance not only her studies in many practical areas in school, but also learn English at a very advanced level. Imaan took IB classes, which are very prestigious. Imaan said, “[These classes] aren’t offered that much. It’s a lot of work. If you don’t start a year early its not gonna happen. All the extra testing. The TOEFL which is an English proficiency test. A) it is really expensive for no reason and B) you need to get a score that is good enough.”
We discussed how America differed in that mostly everyone is afforded the same opportunities until after high school when students begin to look at college and are no longer legally obligated to attend school.
Imaan with a classmate at her IB graduation.
Different Atmospheres
When I asked Imaan to compare school in Europe to school in America, she laughed for a solid 30 seconds. She explained that she feels like in America it is like a constant competition with her classmates which she does not enjoy. In the Netherlands, she told me, it is more of an individual experience and it only matters that you do what you need to do to graduate. Obviously getting good grades helps, but it is not so drastically important as it is in America.
American vs. European Teachers
Imaan told me that in the Netherlands teachers act similar to good American teachers in that they care about their students as if they were their own children. Many teachers in America take on the responsibility of being their students’ friends, playmates, and confidants if needed. In the Netherlands the teachers behave the same way.
The main difference in the Netherlands is that teachers make less money, so if someone goes into the field of education, they are highly interested and invested in it. I disagreed with Imaan there and told her I think the majority of American teachers also care for their profession deeply.
On tenure, Imaan said that she feels when American teachers have great job security they tend to slack off, but that does not happen in the Netherlands.
Imaan’s View on America
Now that Imaan has made it to America she lives the same way that I do. I asked her what she thinks of American culture and day-to-day life and how it compares to her life back in Holland. She says that she likes how friendly and hospitable everyone in America is. However, she acknowledged that as a European she probably has it easier than many other immigrants. She feels that European immigrants are idolized while Hispanic immigrants are treated with negative feelings. Imaan said something that reaffirmed our friendship. “People are more in general socially accepting of issues unless you’re talking to a Republican.”
Me and Imaan at Yankee Stadium.
We then moved on to the more negative aspects of America. Imaan feels that Americans like to be loud all the time, even when they don’t know what they are talking about. She laughed and said clearly she was referring to politicians like Donald Trump, if he can even be called a politician. Imaan said, “The thing I strongly dislike is the closed mindedness of some people here often paired with nationalistic stupidity.”
Despite the flaws America has Imaan told me that she never regrets her decision to come to America.
“It has already helped me grow as a person and I have only been here for one year.”
What Have We Learned?
From interviewing Imaan I learned a lot more about the education system in the Netherlands. While there are many differences between European and American education, there are also many similarities that can be found. It is fair to say that both countries have effective systems of education, though they vary in certain areas.
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