{"id":173567,"date":"2024-11-20T15:31:34","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T14:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=173567"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:36","slug":"56000-signatures-against-destruction-of-higher-education-just-before-protest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/11\/20\/56000-signatures-against-destruction-of-higher-education-just-before-protest\/","title":{"rendered":"56,000 signatures against ‘destruction’ of higher education just before protest"},"content":{"rendered":"

A petition circulated ahead of Monday\u2019s major demonstration against cuts <\/span>to higher education and research. It has already gathered 56,800 <\/span>signatures. The university board urged students and employees to join the demonstration.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A protester at the 'banned' demonstration on Thursday 14 November.<\/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\tBas Belleman<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Last week\u2019s protest in Utrecht against the cuts was cancelled at the last <\/span>moment. Nevertheless, some students took to the streets, and speakers <\/span>were still welcomed in the House of Representatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

A new date has been set: Monday afternoon, 25 November, at <\/span>Malieveld in The Hague. Organisations and action groups call on their <\/span>members and supporters via social media, WhatsApp groups, and email to <\/span>join the protest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Representatives of trade unions, action groups, and institutions will <\/span>address the crowd from a stage. The programme will also feature a <\/span>performance by artist Benjamin Fro. The exact schedule is still being <\/span>finalised.<\/span><\/p>\n

Budget<\/h2>

The protest is well-timed as the House of Representatives will be <\/span>debating the Education, Culture and Science budget that week. The <\/span>discussion will include measures such as the \u2018long-term student penalty\u2019 <\/span>(or a yet unknown alternative) and hundreds of millions of euros in cuts <\/span>to university budgets.<\/span><\/p>\n

WOinActie, the higher education protest movement, understands that another demonstration is asking a lot of staff and students<\/span>. \u201cConscientious as they are, many struggle with cancelling <\/span>classes or rescheduling other commitments again\u201d, reads a statement. <\/span>\u201cWe ask university administrators to do their part by enabling staff to <\/span>protest and closing universities for all regular activities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The doors may not close, but university leaders are encouraging staff to <\/span>attend. On Tuesday, the Executive Board of Erasmus University urged employees<\/a> <\/span>and students to join the demonstration. As a result, there will <\/span>be no compulsory attendance for classes on Monday, and staff can take <\/span>special leave to join the protest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Petition<\/h2>
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The action does not end with the demonstration. On Tuesday, trade <\/span>unions, student organisations, and action groups will present their <\/span>petition against the cuts to a delegation from the House of <\/span>Representatives. The petition warns that the cuts will exacerbate existing <\/span>financial shortfalls, \u2018resulting in more overtime, poor working conditions, scaled-back education, increased disability leave, and staff departures\u2019.<\/div>\n
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Tensions within the coalition are rising, though not \u2013 at least not yet \u2013 due <\/span>to the cuts to higher education. Criticism has come not only from <\/span>students and educational institutions but also from the business sector. <\/span>So far, however, the coalition has ignored it, consistently responding that <\/span>\u2018sometimes, painful choices must be made\u2019.<\/span><\/div>\n

The PVV even expressed outright support for the cuts. On Tuesday, <\/span>Senator Gom van Strien criticised university management layers in the <\/span>Senate, accusing them of wasting money. Ironically, Van Strien himself is <\/span>embroiled in a legal dispute over dubious financial transactions from his <\/span>time as a director of a University of Utrecht subsidiary.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t
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Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t