Photo: Marte Hofsteenge University programmes being offered in English that fail to meet at least two out of five conditions must switch back to Dutch. This is stipulated in a provision (links to Dutch content) Minister Van Engelshoven submitted to the parliament on 15 January. The new rules are to come into effect on 1 September.
Caretaker
Whether this will happen, remains to be seen, as the government has fallen and is currently ruling in a caretaker capacity. It is customary to no longer address any controversial laws under such circumstances. The corresponding legislative proposal, Language and Accessibility, certainly is controversial (links to Dutch content). Although it was passed in the Second Chamber, GroenLinks, PvdA, PVV and FvD voted against. The proposal is yet to be discussed in the First Chamber, but there is reason to believe the Senate will decide to postpone.
Labour market
The provision demands that programmes offered in English must meet at least two of the following five criteria: 1) the course must have a strong international orientation, 2) the labour market for graduates is international, 3) intercultural exchange is required to achieve specific knowledge, insights and skills, 4) the programme collaborates closely with mainly non-Dutch speaking businesses, institutions or educational facilities, or 5) teachers with the required expertise are mainly non-Dutch speaking.
However, these rules need not be met if economic circumstances call for a higher influx of foreign students, the provision states. Moreover, university colleges and two-year research masters’ do not require permission to provide education in other languages. Thus, all Wageningen masters’ are exempt.
(not) Strict
Interested parties were able to comment on the provision, which was made available online for an ‘internet consultation’. According to the Actiegroep Beter Onderwijs Nederland (Netherlands Action Committee Better Education), the provision is not strict enough. The group says that almost all programmes fall within the exceptions. University association VSNU, on the contrary, feels the rules are too stringent. A single criterium should suffice, says the VSNU.
Ultimately, expert committees must rule per programme during their reviews, after which the Accreditation Organisation of The Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) may provide approval. This is the same process that applies to other quality criteria, says the minister.
Dutch
The provision also states that the English-spoken courses must improve the students’ communication skills in Dutch, for example, through writing courses or language tests. The Dutch Language Union will establish a baseline for the command of the language one might expect from those with a university-level education.
