Minister: 'Agreements about employee participation are hard enough'
Should colleges and universities be slapped on the wrist now if the participation of students in improving education leaves much to be desired? The minister thinks this is too premature.
Picture: House of Representatives
Is it true that students are not properly involved in spending the basic grant millions, Lisa Westerveld (GroenLinks) asked Education Minister Arie Slob (ChristenUnie) during the weekly question time of the House of Representatives. Today he replaced his colleague Ingrid van Engelshoven (D66).
The reason for her questions was the conclusion of the Interurban Student Consultation (ISO) earlier this week that the cooperation between the participation councils and the institutions is not going smoothly. For example, students would not have enough voice in the plans for quality improvement and would be pressured to approve them quickly.
The educational institutions will receive millions of euros extra in the coming years now that the basic grant has been abolished, according to two recently concluded 'sector agreements' (higher vocational education and university). They use that money to improve education in consultation with students.
Finger on the pulse
“It is good that the ISO is keeping its finger on the pulse,” the minister complimented, but he immediately added that the student organization, as a co-signer of the two agreements, should have shared its concerns with the parties involved. Moreover, he thought it was still too early for any conclusions. "The institutions have only been working for a few months."
CDA member Harry van der Molen supported Westerveld. You could say that the students are calling the alarm too soon, he acknowledged. But better too soon than too late.
But the minister maintained his position that the agreements are hard enough and that the process is still in full swing.
