The world as your classroom
In Arnhem National Education City 2026, no one develops alone. Children and young people learn not only in the classroom but also throughout the city, from nature, culture, sports fields, companies, and local communities. In this way, the whole city and even the wider world become their classroom. Schools, organizations, and residents support education together, with equal opportunities and diversity as key strengths. Arnhem is therefore growing not only as an Education City but as a community in which everyone can participate.

Alderman Nermina Kundi explains:
“School is much more than a building where you learn to read, write, and do arithmetic. It is a safe place where you are seen, where you learn to cooperate, make friends, and discover who you are. But you can also learn a great deal outside school, from life itself, from each other, from experiences, and from trial and error. Learning does not stop at the school gate.”

Learning together
Arnhem National Education City 2026 uses the school year as a stage for sharing knowledge and experiences. Schools and education professionals in Arnhem form a learning community with an outward-looking perspective, building connections and learning from one another.

Anke Pollmann, director of Citymarketing Arnhem, says:
“In Arnhem you don’t only learn in classrooms, but throughout the city. Together we are building an Education City, a green, creative, and open city where children and young people contribute to their own future and ours.”

The city invites other municipalities, schools, and partners to exchange ideas and inspire one another throughout the year.

Broad development
Sylvia Veltmaat, board member at Flores Onderwijs, sees Arnhem as a rich learning environment:
“We have abundant green space, strong educational partners, heritage and museums, excellent schools, engaged citizens, and a municipality that supports broad development for children and young people. We are getting better at connecting these strengths so that all children and young people in Arnhem can benefit from them in a lasting way.”

Hosting the National Education Week in 2026 is seen as a major opportunity to showcase how the community continues to grow and develop.

A special year
The year 2026 will be particularly significant. In addition to the National Education Week (5–9 October), Arnhem will celebrate:

• the 100-year anniversary of ArtEZ University of the Arts,
• its designation as an SME City,
• and its role as a student city, with a wide range of programs at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, HAN University of Applied Sciences, and ROC Rijn IJssel.

Above all, 2026 will be a year dedicated to all levels of education in Arnhem, from early childhood to higher education.

National Education Week
The National Education Week Foundation views education as the engine for living, learning, and working. Each year, the first full week of October provides a platform to highlight achievements in education. In 2026, the core activities will take place in Arnhem from 5 to 9 October.

Source: National Education Week
Photo: Frank Hoyinck