{"id":134792,"date":"2022-01-17T15:30:41","date_gmt":"2022-01-17T14:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=134792"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:04","slug":"lockdown-eased-in-higher-education-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/01\/17\/lockdown-eased-in-higher-education-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"Lockdown eased in higher education sector"},"content":{"rendered":"

The lockdown previously imposed on VET colleges and tertiary education institutions has been lifted. From now on, students will be able to attend lectures in person again. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the newly sworn-in Minister for Public Health, Ernst Kuipers, announced as much in a press conference held on Friday evening.<\/p>\n

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Masks from the ISS<\/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\tInternational Institute of Social Studies<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Under the new rules approved by the Dutch Cabinet, up to 75 students will be allowed to congregate in a lecture theatre at a time, and students are required to wear face masks at all times, wherever they are. So there is that, but at least they are allowed to return to campus.<\/p>\n

An exception to the maximum number of students present in a single space will be made for exams, which can be attended by more than 75 students at a time.<\/p>\n

Resilience<\/h2>

Rumours of the intended relaxations of the restrictions had already spread prior to the Prime Minister\u2019s press conference on Friday. Moreover, the new Minister for Education, Robbert Dijkgraaf, had already stated that reopening VET colleges and higher education institutions was high on his list of priorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cYoung people have shown a great deal of resilience,\u201d Dijkgraaf said in a press release, \u201cbut they are reaching the end of their ropes. Despite the high infection rate, we are imposing several measures that will allow us to teach in-person classes in a responsible manner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students are advised to take a self-test twice a week (test kits can be ordered free of charge from www.zelftestonderwijs.nl<\/a> or from students\u2019 own education institution). Furthermore, students and staff are advised to wear single-use face masks rather than cloth masks.<\/p>\n

Craving breathing space<\/h2>

Student organisations are glad the sector will be reopened. Lisanne de Roos, the chair of the Intercity Students\u2019 Organisation (ISO), said the decision to reopen the education sector was \u2018frankly the only right decision\u2019. \u201cIn-person classes will give students the breathing space they\u2019ve been craving, even if they will have to wear face masks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ama Boahene, the chair of the National Student Union (LSVb), agrees. \u201cSpending so much time at home has caused students to experience concentration issues, loneliness and mental health issues,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely wonderful that this will soon be a thing of the past. Now we must keep the momentum going and prevent the education sector from being closed again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Universities and universities of applied sciences have also expressed their gratitude. \u201cWe are relieved that our students will be given the opportunity to attend in-person classes again,\u201d said Maurice Limmen, chair of the Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences. \u201cIn-person classes are crucial to our students\u2019 wellbeing and personal development.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pieter Duisenberg, chair of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands, feels the same way, although he is aware that certain students and lecturers will not welcome the news. \u201cConsidering the rising infection rates, we will do it in the safest way possible, and we are definitely taking into account the concerns voiced by staff and students,\u201d said Duisenberg.<\/p>\n

Caf\u00e9s and restaurants<\/h2>

Lockdown restrictions continue to apply to caf\u00e9s, restaurants and cultural institutions, which means they also continue to apply to student societies\u2019 clubhouses. Many people who work in caf\u00e9s, restaurants and the culture sector are unhappy with the restrictions, and are asking why clothes shops or hairdressers\u2019 salons (which are allowed to reopen) should be safer than a restaurant or museum.<\/p>\n

\u201cI completely understand that it feels incredibly unfair,\u201d said the Prime Minister, \u201cbut the risk level is determined by the sum of all moments at which people come into contact with each other in society, meaning that not all public spaces can reopen at the same time.\u201d Moreover, people tend to travel in order to visit museums, which would increase the risk.<\/p>\n

In last Friday\u2019s press conference, the Minister for Public Health, Ernst Kuipers, explained that while the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is less likely to result in serious health issues, it is a lot more contagious than previous variants. If too many people get infected at the same time, problems may still occur. Nevertheless, the Cabinet was prepared to take a bit of a risk by easing certain restrictions.<\/p>\n

Exercise<\/h2>

Kuipers told viewers that we must exercise to stay healthy. He also stated that two-thirds of young people are feeling lonely. \u201cKeeping everything closed for even longer will negatively affect our health, too. But we do know that these relaxations will result in higher infection rates.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time Friday\u2019s press conference was held, people had already begun announcing that they would break the rules if the lockdown restrictions were extended. Shopkeepers in several municipalities had announced that they were planning to reopen their shops, regardless of what restrictions might be in force. Some mayors had announced that they did not intend to fine shopkeepers who did so.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel no opposition,\u201d said Rutte. He acknowledged that everyone is fed up with the coronavirus restrictions. \u201cI\u2019m over it, Ernst Kuipers is over it, we\u2019re all over it.\u201d However, he is keeping certain restrictions in place because he seeks to prevent people from being turned down by hospitals because there is no room for them in the hospitals due to all the COVID-19 patients.<\/p>\n

Coronavirus app<\/h2>

The Cabinet is still working on an extension of the coronavirus app that grants people access to restricted places, which may be used to control access to the higher education sector, as well. However, the app will not be introduced for a while yet. The Minister for Public Health first wishes to determine the effect of such an app with regard to the highly contagious Omicron variant.<\/p>\n\n\t

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