Call to politics: ‘Do not hollow out education’

One more time, universities, universities of applied sciences, secondary vocational institutions and students are calling on politicians: reverse the cuts and make sure we can also absorb inflation.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the House of Representatives will debate the national budget, after which MPs will go on recess until the elections on 29 October. Perhaps they can still do something about the cuts to further education.

That is the thinking behind an appeal from universities association UNL, the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, the MBO Council and national student organisations. What stings most is that the Budget Memorandum once again includes a new cut to further education.

Inflation

It is about inflation. The government has proposed to compensate rising wages and prices in further education only in part. Secondary vocational institutions, universities of applied sciences and universities will therefore have to bear the increasing costs themselves. Primary and secondary education, however, will receive full compensation for ‘wages and prices’.

Altogether, this is expected to amount to several tens of millions of euros, on top of previously announced cuts by this government.

The institutions point out that the impact will be lasting. Even if the government later adjusts funding to inflation again, the shortfall will remain – and can only be made up with extra money.

Creeping

“Universities of applied sciences, secondary vocational institutions and universities are already dealing with the consequences of falling student numbers and severe cuts”, they emphasise. “These creeping cuts now come on top of that, meaning institutions will structurally have fewer resources to continue offering the same quality and breadth of education and research.”

Some degree programmes risk disappearing, they warn. “For young people, the disappearance of a programme means they are forced to move away for their studies – and once students leave, they often do not return to their original region.”

Almost all parties recognise the problem of declining student numbers and disappearing programmes. In their election manifestos, nearly all of them argue for more stable funding for higher education.

On the radar

That further education is unhappy about government cuts is nothing new. “But this hidden cut to wage and price compensation is certainly not yet on everyone’s radar”, says a spokesperson for universities association UNL. “This cut is not self-evident, because there are education sectors that are exempt. It would be good if we were exempt as well. After all, so many cuts are already being made to us.”