{"id":129893,"date":"2021-08-30T16:46:38","date_gmt":"2021-08-30T14:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=129893"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:49","slug":"van-engelshoven-education-will-not-be-closed-in-fourth-wave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/08\/30\/van-engelshoven-education-will-not-be-closed-in-fourth-wave\/","title":{"rendered":"Van Engelshoven: ‘Education will not be closed in fourth wave’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Higher education will not close its doors again, not even in case of a fourth wave of Covid infections. Outgoing Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven stated the above on Monday at the opening of the academic year of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences.<\/p>\n

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Morning sun on an empty campus.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTessa Hofland<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cMy answer to that is no\u201d, Van Engelshoven replied to local broadcaster 1Limburg<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re just not\u00a0going to do that anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an extreme case, the cabinet may make proof of vaccine or negative tests mandatory for admission. This would mean that students and staff will only be able to enter the campus if they have been vaccinated or tested. Such regulations are already \u2018in her back pocket\u2019, the minister said, but she hopes they will not be necessary: \u201cIt\u2019s a very tough tool.\u201d<\/p>\n

'Get tested'<\/h2>

The minister calls on students to get vaccinated, \u2018and if that\u2019s really not possible: get tested\u2019. There are also free self-tests available. \u201cIt helps us enormously if as many students as possible take that test twice a week\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n

Later, she spoke to a group of attendees at the local Conservatory. She expressed how happy she was that teaching could take place face-to-face again and thanked everyone for their efforts recently.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us continue to work together and do everything we can to hold onto our renewed freedom\u201d, she said, referring to the vaccines, self-tests, and other precautionary measures. Furthermore, she made a case for international cooperation in education and science.<\/p>\n

Painful<\/h2>

And the cultural sector, where the performing students will end up? It is \u2018truly painful\u2019 how hard the sector is being hit, the minister said, and amongst them especially the self-employed. But she believes to have done her best to let them share in the billions in support measures, she added.<\/p>\n

Despite that support, Van Engelshoven said, the government cannot ease all the pain. Moreover, the crisis revealed structural problems, she said, and the next cabinet should do something with all the advice and analyses that are now available. \u201cI sincerely hope they will rise to the challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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