Screenshot live stream ‘Major investments in mid-level and higher education and science will bring tranquillity and room for teachers and students’, said king Willem Alexander in his speech from the Throne.
In the King’s address, which was written by the cabinet, he focused on the country’s many issues, such as the high rate of inflation and housing and energy crises. But also on a lack of confidence in politics and threats against those who voice their opinions.
‘Nobody knows what the world will be like when today’s children have children of their own’, Willem-Alexander stated. ‘But it will be different. Because our current way of life encounters social, economic and ecological boundaries.’
Purchasing power
The cabinet has earmarked 18 billion euros to cushion the effects of decreased purchasing power, he stated. The care allowance and the basic grant for students will be increased, and a price cap will be implemented for energy prices.
Where to from here? The cabinet places its hopes on education. ‘Investing in the future of our country begins with good and accessible education’, the King stated. Every child must learn how to read, write and do maths, and then move on to the ‘most fitting follow-up level of education.’
Basic grant
‘Major investments in mid-level and higher education and science will bring tranquillity and room for teachers and students’, said the King. ‘Reintroducing the basic grant as of the academic year of 2023-2024 is to remove financial barriers preventing people from enrolling for education.’
That benefits not only them but the country at large. ‘Only with a well-educated professional population can we build towards an innovative and entrepreneurial future’, according to Willem-Alexander.
HOP, Bas Belleman
