House of Representatives receives ‘black book’ on the effects of education cuts

Degree programmes are disappearing, lecturers are being laid off, and small classes are turning into mass lectures. These are the consequences of education budget cuts, according to the Dutch Student Union (LSVb) in a black book that was presented to the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The minority coalition of D66, CDA and VVD has promised to reverse the cuts to education, but the LSVb remains deeply concerned: the damage cannot be undone overnight.

Tangible

“There’s hardly any space left to study on campus, programmes are disappearing and the quality of education is deteriorating”, said LSVb chair Maaike Krom. The union has compiled examples in a black book. With personal stories from students and lecturers, the LSVb hopes to make the consequences “tangible for politicians”.

Departed lecturers are not being replaced. Small classes are becoming large-scale lectures. Honours programmes are disappearing or being scaled back. Administrative staff are being laid off. Workload is increasing across the board. Some buildings are being forced to close. Introduction weeks are being shortened.

Nudge

That’s just a small selection of the many consequences of the cuts, says Krom. “It’s shocking how quickly the quality of education has declined.” She hopes the black book can “give the House of Representatives a nudge in the right direction”.

And what about the new coalition’s promise to reverse the cuts? “At the moment, it means nothing”, Krom said. “There still needs to be a majority in parliament.”