It’s near exam time at local secondary education schools and for candidates planning to continue their studies in the Netherlands, Dutch Education Execution Agency DUO has opened a temporary location in Philipsburg (see Wednesday paper). That’s important to the youngsters involved but also their parents getting ready to send them overseas.
Services offered include assistance with obtaining a “Burger Service Nummer” (BSN). This social security number is required for several administrative processes in the Netherlands.
In the past, newcomers could only get such once there. That put them at an early disadvantage and caused delays in arranging essential matters.
Applicants for study financing now automatically get a BSN from the National Office for Identity Data RvIG. Because the confirmation letters tend to take long reaching them, students may also contact DUO by phone to enquire.
Having one allows them to activate a digital ID enabling access to Dutch government websites including MijnDUO where they can check on their study financing. Furthermore, it facilitates registering at the municipality where the college is located and opening a bank account.
Suffice to say that visiting or at least calling the office at Cannegieter Street #46 makes sense for future graduates heading to the Netherlands this summer. Investing this time now can make a huge positive difference later also in terms of results.
For those in their final two years of high school still unsure about what’s next, attending the “My Study or Career: My Choice” workshop at University of St. Martin (USM) on April 18 announced in Tuesday’s edition should be strongly encouraged. After all, while keeping options open is understandable, failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
Publisher’s note
The story headlined “Dutch Caribbean special province of Netherlands” on which Wednesday’s editorial was based turned out to have been an April Fools’ joke and the author of this column obviously fell for it. Nevertheless, considering earlier statements by political parties involved in forming a new Dutch government, similar ideas cannot be excluded.
