Monday morning, 42 of the total of 84 students from the Caribbean Netherlands landed safely at Schiphol Airport. The students arrived with two flights arriving at 6.40 AM and 11.05 AM Dutch time. This group, who chose to travel accompanied, was welcomed at the airport by representatives of Aalse & Partners. Of the 42 students, who travelled accompanied, 32 are from Bonaire, 7 from St. Eustatius and 3 from Saba. The other 42 students are travelling to the Netherlands on their own.
The students went by bus to hostel WOW in Amsterdam, where they will stay for three days. During this stay they will meet their mentor, receive more information and they will receive the papers of their health insurance. Also, they could open a bank account and, in some cases, sign the lease contract for the student room. Furthermore, each student received a SIM card for their mobile phone to maintain contact with their family at home.
On arrival at the hostel there was a welcome ceremony with a meal buffet. On Wednesday, the students will go to their study location under the guidance of their mentor. The newcomers are assisted with their registration in the municipality where they are going to live and familiarized with the city, traveling by public transport and setting up their room. Furthermore, they are also helped to check their enrollment at the educational institution of their choice and they get acquainted with the Dutch culture.
Besides the students who opted for further education in The Netherlands, a lot of students choose to study in the U.S. and the region. At this moment there are about 60 students, of which at least 40 are going to study on Curaçao and Aruba.
