From reviewing tests digitally to doing administration, from doing assignments digitally to viewing your school report online. Digital applications are long overdue even in elementary and secondary schools. At the same time, cyber threats are increasing, according to recent research. School boards and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science have agreed that from 2030 schools will meet national standards for a digitally safe school environment. State Secretary Koen Becking (Education, Culture and Science) calls on school boards to start working on this now.
Secretary of State Becking: "Students and staff must be able to learn and work safely digitally. It is logical for schools to take measures for this at a time when technological developments are rapid and cybercriminals are becoming increasingly ingenious. Yet this is still not going well enough everywhere. It is therefore important that school boards start working on this now. This requires a lot from them and that is why we help. Because it is essential that they arm themselves properly against incidents and know what to do if something does go wrong."
Security requirements for schools are increasing in the coming years. It has been agreed with school boards that by 2027 they will know where they stand in terms of their cyber security. In doing so, it is important that they have a plan on how they work towards the national standards for digital security. By 2030 at the latest, all schools must meet those standards. This includes, for example, how to safely exchange privacy-sensitive information with suppliers of digital learning materials and how schools can best respond if they are hacked.
Because schools find it difficult to organize this on their own, the Digitally Safe Education program was launched in 2023. This program, run by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, PO Council, VO Council, Kennisnet and SIVON, offers schools support by means of, for example, manuals, step-by-step plans and a test that gives schools an insight into their own status. School boards can already do this test via this tool from Kennisnet. The program will be extended until 2029, Becking writes in a letter to the House of Representatives. Also, the subsidy is extended with which safe internet for schools can be arranged. For this Becking draws a total of 43.8 million euros.
The state secretary received Kennisnet's "Cybersecurity Threat Assessment 2025" at the end of October. It shows, among other things, that primary and secondary schools had to deal with more frequent digital attacks such as hacks and ddos attacks in the past two years. Several attacks took place this year, causing, for example, inaccessibility of teaching materials and compromising the continuity of education. In some cases, there was financial damage from fake invoices or data breaches occurred.
