Alarm from teachers and inspection is not heard
In the near future, agreements will be made in the back rooms at the Binnenhof to keep Rutte III afloat. Nobody wants early elections. The widely supported opinion that investing in education is essential is not heard in The Hague.
Picture: Fred van Diem
Rutte III lost his majority in the Senate with an enormous blow. Of the 38 seats, 66 will remain after the VVD, CDA, D31 and ChristenUnie elections. The loss was expected, but as we all know the shifts are huge. In this way, a fragmented political landscape has emerged in the senate, which Rutte III has to deal with and wheel to get plans through.
That is exactly what happens. "Opposition is now welcome in the back rooms," he wrote NRC Handelsblad last month. For the cabinet, it means give and take. That giving will work, contrary to what Minister Arie Slob always suggests, because there is enough money. The budget surplus is around 9 billion euros, according to the CPB. The cabinet apparently has other priorities than education to use those billions as lubricant.
There is enough money, contrary to what Minister Arie Slob suggests
For example, there is still no pension agreement and there is a threat of a discount on the pensions of millions of elderly people. That does not make Rutte III popular towards the next elections. So perhaps the PvdA will sit in the back rooms to reach a compromise acceptable to the cabinet and the trade union movement. GroenLinks seems to want to go a long way for the climate agreement, also a spearhead. Prime Minister Rutte also got a whirl from the Council of State. He notes that the tax relief promised by the prime minister himself has not only failed to materialize: the tax burden on citizens has even increased. That, too, will harm the VVD and Rutte at the next poll.
Malieveld
And what about education? 40 thousand people on the Malieveld who argue for investing in education. The education inspectorate that warns that the teacher shortage affects the quality of education. Education is already the champion of work pressure, but the percentage of burnout complaints continues to rise in the new TNO / CBS research into working conditions. It is at a historic high of 23 percent.
There is no lack of attention for the problems in education. Schools that send students home or introduce a four-day school week are well attended by the media. In his Volkskrant-column, general practitioner Joost Zaat wrote that an extra billion could be better spent on education than care. Because, according to him, good education is actually the best medicine to live a healthier life.
Yet that message does not reach Rutte III. The mantra that education already gets so many billions and has received a lot extra is repeated over and over again. The biggest loser in the coalition is D66, the most ardent advocate of investing in education. GroenLinks seems to find a climate agreement more important.
Reporting point
Election winner Forum for Democracy sends mixed signals. Yes, invest in better education salaries by cutting back on development cooperation. But also a hotline for left-wing teachers, and easier dismissal for teaching staff. The political basis for a multi-year investment plan in education seems paper thin.
It seems that coalition and opposition are investing in education, but in fact it is no more than repairing holes in the roof
There is now a danger that educational topics will be used as small change when coalition and opposition meet in the back rooms. Because support must buy the coalition. Just under 20 million for teachers' salaries in secondary special education severely plagued by the teacher shortage, is that possible? Perhaps scrap the 'efficiency discount' of 183 million after all? Want to make a start with the reintroduction of the basic grant, such as CDA, GroenLinks and Forum for Democracy advocate?
For example, it seems that coalition and opposition are investing in education, but in fact it is no more than repairing a few holes in the roof. The foundation can only be saved if there is an investment plan for several years. A plan that inspires young people to choose education. As long as that is not there will remain de Algemene Onderwijsbond take action.
State of Education 2019
The inspectorate is also concerned, they write in the report The state of education 2019. Read all the conclusions here.
