{"id":182815,"date":"2025-10-22T13:45:24","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T11:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=182815"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:57","slug":"dit-is-wat-de-partijen-na-de-verkiezingen-willen-met-hoger-onderwijs-en-onderzoek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/10\/22\/dit-is-wat-de-partijen-na-de-verkiezingen-willen-met-hoger-onderwijs-en-onderzoek\/","title":{"rendered":"This is what the parties want for higher education and research after the elections"},"content":{"rendered":"

In their election manifestos, some political parties loudly proclaim how important education and research are to them. Others are a bit more restrained.<\/p>\n

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On Wednesday 29 October, elections will be held for the House of Representatives. Those elections will determine what the future of Dutch higher education and scientific research will look like.<\/p>\n

More money for students<\/h2>

Some parties want to increase student finance. Others see no need for that, for instance because some students have wealthy parents or because they expect students will earn enough later to repay their study debts.<\/p>\n

It is worth bearing in mind that increasing the basic grant is by no means the only way to improve students\u2019 finances. It could also be done through higher healthcare or housing allowances, or for example by lowering VAT on groceries.<\/p>\n

The CDA wants a scholarship programme for excellent students, so that party could also be included in the left-hand column. NSC says it wants to retain the basic grant in any case.<\/p>\n\n\t

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How much tuition fee?<\/h2>

If you want to make studying cheaper, you can lower tuition fees. Not 2,600 euros a year, but perhaps half that amount or nothing at all. You could do that for all degree programmes or only for those in shortage sectors such as healthcare, engineering and education.<\/p>\n

And some parties (such as Volt and SGP) want to make an exception for student board members who have no time to attend classes.<\/p>\n

The SP ultimately wants to abolish tuition fees altogether. The VVD draws attention with a \u2018short-study bonus\u2019 for students who graduate on time. That would be the opposite of a slow-progress penalty (which BBB advocates). However, universities would face such a penalty from the VVD: they would have to pay a delay contribution if students fall behind.<\/p>\n\n\t

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Speaking English<\/h2>

Too many students from other countries are coming here, some parties believe. To change that, more degree programmes should be taught in Dutch. That would also improve Dutch language skills, they add. Several parties such as SP, SGP and PVV agree on this point.<\/p>\n

In response to all the criticism, universities decided to take the initiative: let us make our own plans to manage internationalisation properly and strengthen Dutch-language teaching in bachelor\u2019s programmes, they said. Some parties think that is fine. For instance, GroenLinks-PvdA and PvdD take that view.<\/p>\n\n\t

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Reversing budget cuts or not?<\/h2>
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It was quite a shock when the government announced plans to cut more than <\/span>
two billion euros from education. The final amount turned out lower, but still: <\/span>
universities and universities of applied sciences will have to tighten their belts.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Some parties want to reverse the budget cuts and spend more on higher education and<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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research. Others do not think this is necessary. The PVV celebrated the cuts as a<\/span>
victory, and VVD, BBB and NSC continued to defend them.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Other parties do not state it explicitly. The SP, for example, wants to make <\/span>
education free and invest heavily in fundamental and independent research, but<\/span>
the party does not literally say: we will reverse the cuts. The same goes for the <\/span>
Party for the Animals.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t
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Slow first-years<\/h2>

A stick to keep students in line or a needless source of stress: those who do not <\/span>
earn enough credits in their first year have to leave. Some parties want to <\/span>
abolish this \u2018binding study advice\u2019 or bsa, others prefer to keep it as it is and say <\/span>
nothing about it in their manifesto.<\/span><\/p>\n

GroenLinks-PvdA does not mention it either, but that party has always wanted <\/span>
to tinker with the bsa, and that likely has not changed. It was still in the <\/span>
manifesto during the previous elections.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t

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Funding degree programmes: fewer peaks and troughs<\/h2>

If a programme keeps attracting fewer students, should it be shut down? That <\/span>
risk is particularly high in regions with declining populations. Small <\/span>
programmes such as German and French also struggle. Can the government <\/span>
ensure through funding that such programmes survive?<\/span><\/p>\n

All parties basically want more stable funding, so programmes do not have to <\/span>
compete for students. But what does that mean in practice? GroenLinks-PvdA <\/span>
wants universities of applied sciences and universities to be able to offer <\/span>
permanent contracts to their staff more quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some parties also want to improve alignment with the labour market. As the <\/span>
VVD writes: \u201cTo improve the connection with the labour market, the <\/span>
government will take a more active role in determining how many students are <\/span>
enrolled in different programmes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That means the government will keep some study fields small and expand <\/span>
others. JA21 is against so-called \u2018hobby degrees\u2019. But the Party for the Animals <\/span>
also thinks along those lines: education should align with future needs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t

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Excuse me, may I unroll a banner?<\/h2>

We all know the fierce demonstrations against the ties between universities and <\/span>
universities of applied sciences and Israel. Some parties believe tension is <\/span>
acceptable, and they prioritise the right to demonstrate. Others say: get rid of <\/span>
those troublemakers and revoke their passports if they happen to hold dual <\/span>
nationality.<\/span><\/p>\n

It should be noted that the difference lies in emphasis: no one condones <\/span>
violence or vandalism, and no one wants to abolish the right to protest.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t

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Democratising education<\/h2>
\n
How much influence should staff and students have on the course of their <\/span>
university or university of applied sciences? And are they fairly compensated for<\/span>
it? Some parties are rather lukewarm about participation, while others are <\/span>ready to take to the barricades. NSC also mentions the important role of an<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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independent press in higher education.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t
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Academic freedom<\/h2>

Now that the United States has launched an attack on academic freedom, you <\/span>
might expect Dutch parties to mention it in their election manifestos. Yet, not all <\/span>
of them do.<\/span><\/p>\n

No one says they want to restrict researchers\u2019 freedom. Instead, they prefer to <\/span>
emphasise practice-oriented research in collaboration with business. In other <\/span>
words, more direction. The CDA mainly wants to invest in research into \u2018the key<\/span>
technologies of the future\u2019, including AI, green chemistry and battery <\/span>
technology. BBB is moving in the same direction. \u201cBBB stands firmly for <\/span>
academic freedom\u201d, the manifesto says, \u201cbut also sees that science is becoming <\/span>
increasingly detached from practice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes it is difficult to tell whether parties want more freedom or less. The <\/span>
SGP, for instance, stresses that research into the Holocaust must be able to <\/span>
continue unhindered, but remains opposed to embryo cultivation for scientific <\/span>
purposes. The reformed party also wants more practice-oriented research. All <\/span>
in all, that sounds more like \u2018more direction\u2019 than \u2018more freedom\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Forum for Democracy is hard to categorise. The party wants universities to be <\/span>
places for \u2018free debate and sharp ideas\u2019, but that goes hand in hand with a ban <\/span>
on diversity officers and safe spaces.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, some parties explicitly state that they support academic <\/span>
freedom without reservation. GroenLinks-PvdA even wants to enshrine this <\/span>
freedom in law.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t

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An internship is work too<\/h2>

A part-time job alongside an internship can be too much to handle. All interns <\/span>
should receive an allowance, some parties argue, otherwise students without <\/span>
wealthy parents will struggle to find a placement freely.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other parties fear that such a requirement would lead especially small <\/span>
companies to offer fewer internships. That would only make matters worse, they<\/span>
say. The ChristenUnie and SGP do want an allowance, but say that only for <\/span>
students in senior secondary vocational education.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t

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Housing benefit for student rooms<\/h2>

Students are struggling to find housing. One widely discussed solution is <\/span>
housing benefit for non-self-contained rooms. This would allow higher rents for <\/span>
housing with shared facilities, which would make such investments more <\/span>
profitable. At present, developers prefer to build studios for students. It sounds <\/span>
logical, but it would be costly for the government.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t

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Building plenty of student housing<\/h2>
\n
New construction could help solve the severe housing shortage. But where do <\/span>
you put all those buildings? And what about nitrogen emissions?<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
All parties want to build more homes. Some explicitly mention student housing, <\/span>
others talk about young people and first-time buyers. And yes, the Party for the <\/span>Animals puts more emphasis on sustainability than, say, BBB and CDA, but such<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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differences are hardly surprising.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t
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Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t