Frisian is the only minority language for which the Dutch government has ratified part III of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML); other regional languages are only recognized under part II. The ratification led to the setting up of the Advisory Body for the Frisian Language (“Consultatief orgaan Fries”) in 1998, an advisory body to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties, 2011). The national government also ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, in 2005, thereby recognising Frisians as a national minority (Riemersma & De Jong, 2007).

The legal position of Frisian was arranged in 1995 in the act “Algemene Wet Bestuursrecht”. In 2011, the government proposed a new bill on the use of the Frisian Language. The aim of the bill is to guarantee everybody the right to use their own language, Dutch or Frisian, in dealings with the judiciary and administration within the Province of Fryslân and thus to strengthen the possibilities of using the Frisian language. Furthermore, the bill foresees the institution of a Frisian Language Council. In practice, this means that the remit of the aforementioned Advisory Body is enlarged (Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties, 2011). 

Most of the 27 municipalities in Fryslân have a specific language policy (Provinsje Fryslân, 2011a).

Within Fryslân there are two mechanisms for data collection on language diversity. First of all, extensive language surveys have been carried out in 1967, 1980, and 1994; the next survey round is being planned in the near future. Apart from that, every four years the Provincial authorities carry out a basic survey into Frisian language proficiency and use in the province (‘De Fryske taalatlas’). The first edition of this survey appeared in 2007; it provides the authorities in Fryslân with basic information to develop their language policy (Provinsje Fryslân, 2011a). These surveys do not provide information on immigrant languages; the focus is on the Frisian language.

Languages offered in pre-primary education

There are over 130 bilingual (Dutch-Frisian) or Frisian playgroups in Friesland; around 35% of all playgroups in the province (Sintrum Frysktalige Berne-opfang, 2013). The centre for Frisian-language day care (“Sintrum Frysktalige Berne-opfang”) is responsible for running those playgroups (Riemersma & De Jong, 2007).

In teacher training for pre-primary education only general attention is paid to the multilingual situation in the province; teaching the Frisian language is not part of formal training.

Within pre-primary education, attention is paid to multilingualism as well as learning the national language and the minority language, but there is no provision for foreign and immigrant languages. EU recommendations are thus followed to a certain extent, but this could be improved even further.

Languages offered in primary education

Frisian language is a compulsory subject in primary education in Fryslân. In many cases the amount of time spent on Frisian, however, is less than one hour per week (Inspectie van het Onderwijs, 2010); this was deemed insufficient by the Committee of Experts of the ECRML, given the signed undertakings in part III of the ECRML (Council of Europe, 2008).

The national education laws permit the use of Frisian as language of instruction, and many schools do so. However, more time is spent on Frisian in the lower than in the higher grades. A quarter of all primary schools does not use Frisian as language of instruction at all (Inspectie van het Onderwijs, 2010).

The Education Inspectorate found that around 20% of teachers are not formally qualified to teach Frisian (ibidem).

Within primary education in Fryslân, there is no specific attention paid to immigrant languages.

Languages offered in secondary education

Frisian as a subject is compulsory in the first two grades. It can be taken as an exam subject, but not all secondary schools offer it (Inspectie van het Onderwijs, 2010), nor do many pupils take the exam: in 2011, only 47 pupils took exams in Frisian (Alberts & Erens, 2011).

There is no specific attention paid to immigrant languages within secondary education.

Fryslân is a province with two official languages, which is visible in the results of the study. Especially within education there is structural attention paid to the Frisian language, although the signed undertakings of the ECRML are not all fulfilled completely. On the continuum of education, from pre-primary education, via primary and secondary education to VET, the status of Frisian within education becomes less and less prominent.

The situation with regard to foreign and immigrant languages is the same as in the Netherlands overall, except that immigrant languages get less attention in education in Fryslân, which can be accounted for by the low proportion of immigrants in the province.

Language pack

Upon registering the birth of their child, parents in Fryslân are presented with a language pack (‘Taaltaske’). This language pack is offered by the province of Fryslân. The aim is to point out the advantages of plurilingualism. The materials in the pack include a brochure about plurilingualism, a Frisian children’s book, and a CD with children’s songs (Provinsje Fryslân, 2011b).

Trilingual education

Within the province there are several trilingual primary schools. These schools use Dutch, Frisian, and English as languages of instruction, starting with a 50-50 division between Dutch and Frisian as languages of instruction in the first six grades (children aged four to ten) and ending with 40% Dutch, 40% Frisian, and 20% English in the last two grades (children aged 11-12). This trilingual model yields positive results: the pupils’ level of Dutch at the end of primary school is not negatively affected by the time spent on English and Frisian and is comparable to national levels; the pupils’ Frisian reading and writing skills improve; and the pupils are more at ease using English (Taalsintrum Frysk/Cedin, 2011b). In 2011 the network of trilingual schools had grown to 41 members (Taalsintrum Frysk/Cedin, 2011a).

Alberts, R.V.J. and B.J.M. Erens (2011). Verslag van de examencampagne 2011 voortgezet onderwijs. Arnhem: Stichting Cito Instituut voor Toetsontwikkeling. Available at: www.cito.nl/~/media/cito_nl/Files/Voortgezet%20onderwijs/Cito_verslag_examencampagne_2011.ashx

Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (2011). “Bevolking; leeftijd, herkomstgroepering, geslacht en regio, 1 januari.” Available at: http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?DM=SLNL&PA=37713&D1=0&D2=0&D3=0,3-4,6,9,11-13,15-17,19,22-23,25-26,30-32,34,37,40-41,44-48&D4=0,6&D5=l&HDR=T,G2&STB=G1,G3,G4&VW=T Accessed 9 December 2011.

Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (2012). “Regionale kerncijfers Nederland.” Available at: http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?DM=SLNL&PA=70072ned&D1=0,56,78-79,81&D2=0,6&D3=15-16&HDR=T&STB=G1,G2&VW=T Accessed 3 January 2012

Council of Europe (2008). “European Charter for Regional of Minority Languages. Application of the charter in the Netherlands. 3rd monitoring cycle.” Strasbourg: Council of Europe. Available at: www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/minlang/Report/EvaluationReports/NetherlandsECRML3_en.pdf Accessed: 8 December 2011.

Inspectie van het Onderwijs (2010). “Tussen wens en werkelijkheid. De kwaliteit van het vak Fries in het basisonderwijs en het voortgezet onderwijs in Fryslân.” Utrecht. Available at: www.onderwijsinspectie.nl/actueel/publicaties/Tussen+wens+en+werkelijkheid.html Accessed 8 December 2011.

Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties (2011). Wet gebruik Friese taal - Memorie van Toelichting. Available at: www.internetconsultatie.nl/wetfriesetaal Accessed 8 December 2011.

Provinsje Fryslân (2010). De staat van Fryslân. Beleids- en geo-informatie, november 2010. Available at: www.fryslan.nl/download.asp?objectID=33162&link=De+staat+van+Fryslan%2Epdf Accessed: 9 December 2011.

Provinsje Fryslân (2011a). “De Fryske taalatlas: Friese taal in beeld 2011.” Leeuwarden. Available at: www.fryslan.nl/taalatlas Accessed: 9 December 2011

Provinsje Fryslân (2011b). “Taaltasje. Taaltaske.” Available at: http://fryslan.nl/taaltaske Accessed: 9 December 2011.

Riemersma, A. & S. de Jong (2007). Frisian: The Frisian language in education in the Netherlands, 4th edition. Ljouwert/Leeuwarden: Mercator Research Centre. Available at: www.mercator-research.eu/fileadmin/mercator/dossiers_pdf/frisian_in_netherlands4th_072010.pdf Accessed: 3 January 2012

Sintrum Frysktalige Berne-opfang (2013). Message to the author. 7 February 2013. Email

Taalsintrum Frysk/Cedin (2011). De Trijetalige skoalle. Available at: www.taalsintrum.nl/trijetalige-skoalle.html Accessed: 9 December 2011.

Taalsintrum Frysk/Cedin (2011). De Trijetalige Skoalle. Drachten: Taalsintrum Frysk/Cedin. Available at: www.3ts.nl/images/trijetalige-skoalle2011.pdf Accessed: 9 December 2011.