{"id":140074,"date":"2022-05-13T11:39:43","date_gmt":"2022-05-13T09:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=140074"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:17","slug":"parliament-wants-to-increase-compensation-for-student-participation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/05\/13\/parliament-wants-to-increase-compensation-for-student-participation\/","title":{"rendered":"Parliament wants to increase compensation for student participation"},"content":{"rendered":"

By participating in student consultations, students influence decisions on such things as educational policies and budgets. But at some institutions their compensation is much lower<\/a> than at others. The issue has been debated<\/a> for years.<\/p>\n

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The Erasmus University Council in session (2021).<\/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\tMilena Chopova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

GroenLinks and PvdA recently put forward a motion<\/a> directed at \u201cdrawing up national guidelines for the remuneration of members of\u00a0participation councils, in consultation with student associations and the umbrella organisations for institutions\u201d. This week, a majority of MPs backed the proposal.<\/p>\n

The Dutch National Students\u2019 Association (ISO) is \u201cextremely pleased\u201d with the decision and believes it is a step in the right direction. \u201cWe\u2019re happy that this is about guidelines because it\u2019s important that this discussion is also conducted in the individual institutions\u201d, ISO board member Gijsbert van Elven says. He believes this can only bolster the relationship between board members and participation council members.<\/p>\n

A shot in the dark<\/h2>

But Rien Wijnhoven, chair of the National Platform of University Participation Bodies (LOVUM), is sceptical. \u201cThis motion is just a shot in the dark. It\u2019s nice, but in my opinion we can\u2019t do very much with it.\u201d There\u2019s a lack of clear framework conditions for the institutions, Wijnhoven believes. \u201cSome make good agreements based on guidelines, and others don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also concerned about the level of compensation given in the guidelines. \u201cHow will it be calculated? I\u2019m a little apprehensive that in future we will be seeing compensation levels aren\u2019t just adjusted upward but are also adjusted downward\u201d, Wijnhoven says.<\/p>\n

Tuition fees<\/h2>

In another motion<\/a> the two parties asked about tuition fees paid by students who are full-time participation council members. Why do they get exemptions from paying tuition fees at one institution but not at the other? Minister Dijkgraaf is going to find out, because that request also received sufficient support of Parliament yesterday.<\/p>\n

The ISO is hoping that the motions will help boost student participation, because interest<\/a> has been waning for years. \u201cBut my enthusiasm stands or falls on the way it\u2019s implemented\u201d, Van Elven warned.<\/p>\n

According to LOVUM chair Wijnhoven, it remains very much the question whether all students will benefit from the second motion. \u201cIn my own surroundings I see students on participation councils sometimes making up an exam during their year in student government. I\u2019m not sure how they would be able to arrange that from a legal perspective if they don\u2019t have to pay tuition fees anymore\u201d, he says.<\/p>\n

Last month during a short debate Minister Dijkgraaf indicated<\/a> that he was up to the challenge posed by the two motions.<\/p>\n\n\t

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