The King’s address in the Grote Kerk of The Hague this year. Photo Shutterstock For the second consecutive year, there is little news for higher education and scientific research in the National Budget. Last year, elections were upcoming. This year a new government has yet to be formed.
Meanwhile, protesters and lobbyists seem to have gotten their message across to The Hague. The number of students in higher education is increasing steadily, leading to ‘high work pressure’, the Cabinet confirms in the Budget Memorandum. Quality and accessibility of education are under pressure.
And, what about scientific research? This also merits support. ‘High-quality research and innovation are needed to address societal issues and create earning potential for the future’, the memorandum states.
Enough
But no extra money is allocated. The Cabinet seems to feel that the COVID funding and the National Education Programme (over 8 billion euros until 2023) as well as the billion available in the National Growth Fund for infrastructure and innovation (20 billion over five years), suffice.
Students and politically active youngsters were already expecting the lack of fireworks in the Budget Memorandum. They protested (leads to Dutch content) in front of the House of Representatives on Tuesday morning. They call for a rapid reinstatement of the basic student grant.
‘The cabinet wants equal opportunities in education, but that requires more than just empty words’, says Ama Boahene of the National Student Union. ‘The repeated lack of funding to abolish the loan system and for structural investments in education is incomprehensible.’
Lisanne Roos, of the Interstedelijk Studenten Overleg calls the lack of investments ‘remarkable’. ‘We are being ignored.’ She calls the money from the National Education Programme a ‘band-aid’.
‘Crying shame’
The Algemene Onderwijsbond (General Education Association) even calls it a ‘crying shame’. Chair Tamar van Gelder refers to the additional funding for security and the housing market. If these things are possible, why no extra money for education? Protests will ensue if the next government does not deliver, she threatens.
The Association of Universities of Applied Sciences did not wait until Budget Day to put out a press release on Monday about the slow formation of a new government. This is causing issues in their education and is affecting the employment market, the message stated. More money should be made available for re-education and refresher courses. Moreover, the new government should earmark an additional annual 240 million euros for practical research.
The Universities have not yet responded. However, recently, they have repeatedly stated they require an additional 1.1 billion a year. Outgoing Minister of Education Van Engelshoven has already stated (leads to Dutch content) that this is up to the next government.
The Cabinet dismisses all criticism of its restrained policy. ‘The amount we, as an outgoing cabinet, are spending, is unprecedented’, outgoing minister Wopke Hoekstra told the NOS on Tuesday afternoon.
