Debating may be sharp, critical and fierce, says new minister Moes

Students are free to demonstrate, and universities must decide for themselves whether to cooperate with Israel. The new BBB Minister of Education, Gouke Moes, is continuing the line of his predecessors.

The appointment of Gouke Moes as Minister of Education caused quite a stir last week. Former teacher Moes is 33 years old and had only just begun his role in the Provincial Executive. Now he heads the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Tweets about the defacement of a rainbow crossing continue to haunt him, even after his apology.

BBB founder Henk Vermeer still firmly supports his appointment. Vermeer suspects that Moes is highly gifted and ‘always thinks one step ahead’ of others. He also said: “Thanks to his experience as a teacher, Gouke knows what is going on and doesn’t have to rely on reports handed to him.”

Populism

Knowing what is going on and not relying on reports… Given the rise of populism in politics, many will wonder how the new outgoing Minister of Education will conduct himself. On Wednesday, he had the chance to show it in a debate with the House of Representatives on academic freedom.

It turns out that – like his predecessors – he defends the autonomy of universities and universities of applied sciences. He also stands up for students’ right to demonstrate. And that frustrated some parties.

PVV and Denk

“Universities have become the stage for public disorder”, said PVV MP Patrick van der Hoeff, referring to pro-Palestinian protests during the openings of the academic year. “The minister keeps saying he cannot intervene because of autonomy and academic freedom. When will he finally hold university administrators accountable for their failures?”

At the other end of the spectrum stood Denk, which for years has been calling for academic ties with Israel to be severed. “For us, there is a clear limit to academic freedom: it cannot be used to justify genocide”, said Doğucan Ergin.

But the minister sounded much like his predecessors. Frequently prompted by the civil servants beside him, he repeated what previous ministers had also said time and again: students have the right to demonstrate, and administrators must report any vandalism or violence to the police.

Cornerstone

Moes said: “We share responsibility for a culture in which we can debate freely and safely, even when it is sharp, critical or fierce.” He dismissed any idea of banning demonstrations.

“Of course, there must be room for demonstrations, including within educational institutions”, he said. “Academic freedom is a vital precondition for a well-functioning society and a cornerstone of our rule of law.”