{"id":183035,"date":"2025-10-29T09:20:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T08:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=183035"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:57","slug":"kleur-bekennen-hoe-stemden-de-partijen-over-hoger-onderwijs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/10\/29\/kleur-bekennen-hoe-stemden-de-partijen-over-hoger-onderwijs\/","title":{"rendered":"Showing their colours: how did the parties vote on higher education?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Election manifestos are full of wonderful words, but what did political parties actually do when push came to shove? How did they vote on issues like English-taught education, discrimination and internship pay?<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSonja Schravesande<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

At almost every debate, MPs submit motions to force other parties to take a stand. If a motion is adopted, the government must act on it.<\/p>\n

So how did things go recently in higher education? Which motions passed and which ones failed?<\/p>\n\t

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No \u2018bullet-point terrorism\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Note: sometimes parties submit nonsensical motions, mainly to put others in a bad light and share screenshots online. That\u2019s what Arjen Lubach refers to as bullet-point terrorism. We\u2019ve tried to leave out those types of motions.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve also left out motions on budget cuts. The governing parties signed a coalition agreement they couldn\u2019t easily deviate from. On top of that, compromises were made with opposition parties on the education budget. So votes on budget-cutting motions say little about where individual parties really stand.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Foreign students<\/h2>

A few years ago, a large political majority wanted fewer foreign students to come to the Netherlands. The easiest way? Make bachelor\u2019s programmes Dutch-taught again. That way, international students wouldn\u2019t be able to attend the classes.<\/p>\n

All English-taught bachelor\u2019s programmes were to be assessed with a language test: wouldn\u2019t it be better to teach them in Dutch? This created major uncertainty in higher education, and even the business sector raised concerns.<\/p>\n

Gradually, nuance started to creep in. Even some government parties recognised that in certain fields \u2013 and certain regions \u2013 the Netherlands can really use international talent. What\u2019s more, universities decided to take the initiative: let us decide for ourselves which programmes should become bilingual or switch entirely to Dutch, they said. That initiative was welcomed by the political world.<\/p>\n

So this spring, two motions were adopted. One stated that a set of criteria by the ministry (the \u2018language test\u2019) to decide whether existing programmes are allowed to continue, should be scrapped. The other called for agreements with universities to reduce English-taught education. Both passed with varying majorities.<\/p>\n

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Krul et al.: scrap the language test for existing programmes.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

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Soepboer\/Krul: make agreements with universities and universities of applied sciences to further reduce Anglicisation and internationalisation.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Discrimination: do we want to know?<\/h2>

Fraud investigations by student funding agency DUO went wrong: almost all of those targeted were students with a migrant background, often without any actual leads that they might be fraudulent. The previous cabinet apologised, and the current one decided to reverse all fines and repayments. But paying the money back takes time.<\/p>\n

The Denk party wanted an update. The psychological and financial damage to (former) students is considerable, after all. How many students have already been compensated? Are there bottlenecks? Is the allocated budget sufficient? The then-minister (from NSC) was fine with the request, but some parties would rather not receive this information.<\/p>\n

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Ergin: report on compensation by DUO for affected students with a living-away-from-home grant.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Student financing<\/h2>

How are students doing financially? Should the basic grant perhaps be increased? Let\u2019s investigate that, said a motion. Again, some parties didn\u2019t want to know, while others saw no harm in it.<\/p>\n

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Beckerman: investigate whether the basic grant should be increased to at least maintain students\u2019 purchasing power.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Internship discrimination<\/h2>

Jochem and Julia easily find an internship, Achmed and Fatima don\u2019t. That\u2019s called internship discrimination. Sometimes lecturers and staff at education institutions don\u2019t know what to do when their students face this. So hold universities accountable and ask them to adopt \u2018proactive policies\u2019, the motion said.<\/p>\n

The then minister of Education thought the issue was important, but called the motion unnecessary: according to him, universities are already doing plenty. That might explain why the CDA voted against it \u2013 the party dislikes superfluous motions.<\/p>\n

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Ergin\/Tseggai: universities to adopt proactive policies against internship discrimination.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Internship pay<\/h2>

Sometimes interns are paid, sometimes not. Only 42 percent of MBO students receive internship pay. For HBO students it\u2019s 75 percent. Among university students, 65 percent of compulsory internships and 91 percent of voluntary internships are paid.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let interns work unpaid, say some parties. The minister has indeed held the threat of a legal requirement over the sector. But others disagree, saying: if small businesses can\u2019t afford the costs, they\u2019ll stop offering internships and we\u2019ll all be worse off.<\/p>\n

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Ergin et al.: legally enshrine the right to appropriate internship pay.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Can\u2019t we find a solution for small employers? Let\u2019s set up a public-private internship fund, said another motion. That way, interns could receive pay even at small businesses. The responsible minister called it a sympathetic plan and was open to exploring it \u2013 but not all parties felt the same.<\/p>\n

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Paternotte et al.: explore the creation of a public-private internship fund.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Protests<\/h2>

University administrators sometimes have to take a practical approach to protests on campus. Occasionally, a few troublemakers are among well-meaning demonstrators \u2013 and then what? Ban demonstrations? Evict buildings? Or still opt for dialogue?<\/p>\n

Some parties believe these decisions should be left to university administrators and express understanding for the protesters\u2019 concerns (for example, over ties with Israel or the fossil fuel industry).<\/p>\n

But others argue the government should expect something from administrators in return. We cannot accept vandalism, intimidation or the threat of violence \u2013 academic freedom is at stake. The minister could make it clear to Executive Boards that they must act in cases of serious breaches of house rules.<\/p>\n

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Rajkowski: consult Executive Boards to ensure they always intervene in cases of serious breaches of house rules.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Private sector<\/h2>

Companies sometimes fund a chair (i.e. the salary of a professor focusing on a specific subject). They also occasionally commission research at universities. This \u2018third stream\u2019 of funding accounts for around 18 percent of all income.<\/p>\n

Some parties are wary. Collaborating with business can be valuable, but science must remain independent. Others see no issue.<\/p>\n

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Beckerman: study how universities could become less dependent on corporate funding.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

United States<\/h2>

Donald Trump\u2019s attacks on higher education and research in the US may open a door: could we attract researchers and students from the United States to the Netherlands?<\/p>\n

The real question wasn\u2019t whether such a fund was a good idea \u2013 40 million euros has since been allocated \u2013 but whether it should specifically target the United States. That might rub our ally the wrong way.<\/p>\n

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Motie-Dassen: actieplan versneld aantrekken talent Verenigde Staten.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Housing shortage<\/h2>

Young people are feeling the effects of the housing crisis, yet they weren\u2019t represented at a key meeting between the government, housing associations and private investors. That needs to change in future, said a majority. But a few parties saw little merit in the idea.<\/p>\n

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Vijlbrief et al.: always include young people, students and first-time buyers in shaping housing agreements.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\t

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The general election takes place this Wednesday, 29 October.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t