The Senate wants to get rid of cuts in education
A majority of the Senate wants to cancel or at least mitigate the savings in education of 183 million euros - the efficiency discount. The senators of coalition party D66 also voted in favor of the motion. The AOb is satisfied and yesterday advised MPs to vote in favor of the motion.
Picture: Senate
Early November details of the efficiency discount became clear. In primary education this involves amounts of up to 61 million euros, in secondary education 47 million euros, in vocational education 25 million euros, and higher professional education must save 17 million euros.
The cut is a legacy of the previous cabinet, which left a hole in the budget. Minister of Education Ingrid van Engelshoven (D66) emphasized in the budget debate that the primary process in schools should be spared as much as possible.
Undo
The SGP, PvdA, GroenLinks, Party for the Animals, 50PLUS, SP, OSF and D66 voted in favor the motion to reverse the efficiency discount. The ChristenUnie, VVD, CDA and PVV were against. It is remarkable that coalition party D66 voted in favor of the motion, while the coalition agreement signed by the party in the House of Representatives states that the discount is necessary.
In the motion, the government is asked whether the discount can be softened and preferably reversed completely. The parties call on the government to inquire in the 2018 Spring debate whether this will be successful.
An efficiency discount is inappropriate if we want to invest in the future of the Netherlands
De AOb yesterday called on the Senate to vote in favor of the motion. "An efficiency discount is inappropriate if we want to invest in the future of the Netherlands," he wrote AObchairman Liesbeth Verheggen in the letter. Also the Education Foundation, in which the AOb together with other unions and employers, called for the discount to be canceled.
