Parties are 'commercially satisfied' with quality agreements
In a festive mood, Minister Van Engelshoven today signed the sector agreement with universities and colleges. That agreement looks completely different from the performance agreements of the past, and everyone is happy about that.
Image: LAKS via Hoger Onderwijspersbureau (HOP)
Representatives from the student organizations, universities, colleges and the minister came this morning to the Training Institute for Care and Welfare in Amsterdam-Buitenveldert. This meeting place for WO and HBO - with both courses from the Hogeschool Inholland and the VU University - is a great place for this official moment.
'Investing in education quality – Quality agreements 2019-2024' is written on the large board that all the delegates scribble on. Although strictly speaking, those quality agreements still have to be made.
'Business satisfaction'
For months, the VSNU university association, the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, the student organizations ISO and LSVb and the ministry negotiated the so-called sector agreement, of which the quality agreements are part. Today have the five parties the agreement then finally signed. Everyone is well dressed and in good spirits, although the mood cannot be called exuberant.
“We are commercially satisfied,” says a spokesperson for the VSNU university association, while coffee and macarons are placed on the standing tables. The other signatories appear in a similar mood; there is an excellent agreement, now the real work can begin.
The real work means that each educational institution can largely determine for itself what to spend the money that has been released by the abolition of the basic grant. The millions must benefit the quality of education, that is certain, but unlike in the performance agreements, the ministry remains more remote this time.
Aftermaths
The parties involved do not want to say whether there were real bottlenecks during the negotiations. For Minister Van Engelshoven, the aftermath of the performance agreements was the biggest challenge. “They caused a lot of chagrin and mistrust,” she says after the ceremony. “It took a while to regain confidence, but in the end it worked out very well.”
"It took a while before confidence was regained, but in the end it worked out very well", education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven
LSVb chairman Tariq Sewbaransingh is pleased that the ministry is no longer demanding hard performances against which institutions can be held accountable. Even if an institution messes up and does not achieve its goals, it will not lose the money. It then goes directly to good teaching plans of teachers, via the Comenius grants. “We wanted at all costs to avoid giving returns thinking a second chance,” says Sewbaransingh, who has lobbied hard for this solution.
According to Thom de Graaf chairman of the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, the agreement does justice to the major differences between the institutions. “You cannot put all universities of applied sciences on the same page. An arts college with a strong focus on internationalization will spend its money differently than a teacher training college in the Achterhoek. ”
Minimum number of hours
Is there nothing to grumble at all? Not everyone got their way. Last week, the Student Consultation on Participation (SOM) sounded the alarm because the participation at universities of applied sciences would have too little time and space to perform its tasks properly. At least twelve hours a week should be given participation in decision-making, according to the SOM.
Depending on the size of the institution, these were at least four to eight hours. “Disappointing,” says SOM member Richard Gertsen. “But we still see the agreement as a victory. Until now, there were schools that did not even pay for eight hours a month. Now we have a minimum of four hours a week, which is really an improvement. ”
"Until now, there were schools that did not even reimburse eight hours a month for participational representatives. Now we have a minimum of four hours a week, which is really an improvement", Richard Gertsen of the Student Consultation Participation.
In the meantime, university participation is paid for up to 32 hours per week. Many students can therefore devote themselves full-time to checking the institutional board. Isn't that big difference between WO and HBO strange? “In academic education, strong employee participation has a longer tradition,” says Minister Van Engelshoven when asked.
She does not believe that HBO councils have fewer tasks than their colleagues at the university and emphasizes once again that the agreements are about absolute minimums. “More is always allowed. Moreover, it concerns more than the number of hours. Employee participation must also be adequately supported, for example with training courses and other facilities. ”
'Agree to disagree'
The ISO, which represents the participation councils, will strictly monitor that the participation can fulfill its task optimally. “Employee participation has been given an important role and we are going to see to it that they can also fulfill it,” says chairman Rhea van der Dong, shortly before everyone pounces on the sandwiches.
In the agreement, the universities and universities of applied sciences have also made it clear that they do not agree with the cuts from the coalition agreement, the so-called 'efficiency discount'. The minister understands the objections, but sees no possibility of avoiding the coalition agreement. “We agree to disagree,” says Van Engelshoven afterwards. But the VSNU still disagrees, assures a spokesperson when asked.
