A minister who himself puts aside administrators is going too far for the House
Failing school administrators who can be immediately dismissed by the Minister of Education: that is going too far for a majority in the House of Representatives. A motion to that effect by VVD and SP was rejected this afternoon.
Image: Pixabay
After a number of incidents at educational institutions, politicians in The Hague want more grip on administrative jerk pilots. Education minister Slob also shares the frustration, he said in the House of Representatives last week: 'I understand the dissatisfaction about the fact that with the current regulations it takes a very long time to be able to intervene when we think that things are happening that really can't. We have already seen some examples of this, even during this government's term of office. We want to get rid of that.'
The cabinet therefore wants to change the legislation to be able to intervene more quickly in the future. Slob claims that in case of an emergency it only takes a week or two. This must be done by giving a so-called 'instruction' to the institution. The education minister is not authorized to suspend directors themselves, this right is reserved for the employer (read: usually the supervisory board).
Mismanagement
Part of the Lower House is not reassured about this. VVD and SP have drawn up a motion that goes well beyond the cabinet plans. In it, the government is requested to 'make it possible that the minister can immediately relieve a non-functioning education director from his duties if it appears that mismanagement has taken place'. This afternoon the motion only received support from the PVV and FvD.
Slob himself already advised against the motion last week 'emphatically': 'However, we cannot go straight through the Civil Code and the General Administrative Law Act and the like by directly intervening ourselves.' And he doesn't plan to change those rules because that would affect a lot of organizations. "I hope you realize what you're upsetting with this," the minister warned.
I hope you realize what you're up to with this
More support was given to a call for more frequent unannounced school visits by the Education Inspectorate in primary and secondary education. A D66 motion to that effect was passed by the full House of Representatives. According to Slob, it was already intended that would happen.
