'Loan system millions to smaller-scale education'
The NOS researched the loan system millions and concluded that universities mainly want to put this money into 'more intensive and smaller-scale education'. More teachers are needed for this. The AOb emphasizes that educational improvement can only be achieved with permanent contracts and more university staff teachers.
Picture: Type tank
The abolition of the basic grant in 2015 was to generate hundreds of millions of euros for the improvement of higher education. Institutions made it clear in so-called quality plans where they would spend their part of that money. The NOS op 3 went through these plans and made an extensive one online overview. The ideas can be viewed per institution and sometimes per faculty. Exactly how much money is being spent is usually not stated.
Israeli dance
The main theme that colleges and universities want to work on is 'more intensive and smaller-scale education'. In practice, this often means hiring more teachers and better supervision of students. There are also all kinds of ideas in the field of student welfare, flexible education and diversity. The NOS also listed some notable examples, such as master classes in Israeli dance or very expensive didactic courses for teachers at the American top university Harvard.
Many institutions invest in their plans - which were handed in long before the corona crisis - also in 'online education'. This involves more than just streaming lectures: there should also be all kinds of useful teaching apps, for example.
If these 'extra' investments are just enough to compensate for rising student numbers, there will be no progress
Growing student numbers
The big question is whether these plans will lead to much of the intensification of education. One in five educational institutions indicates that extra teachers are desperately needed to keep up with the growing student numbers. But the loan system millions are not meant for that.
Chairman of the National Student Union Lyle Muns is not very happy about it. “Students have had to hand in their basic grant,” he says. “Then you can at least expect the student-teacher ratio to increase. But if these 'extra' investments are just enough to compensate for rising student numbers, then there is no progress either. ” Minister Van Engelshoven sees it differently. “Every additional teacher improves the student-teacher ratio and is therefore an investment in the quality of education,” she says in conversation with the NOS. “If you hadn't made that investment, the ratio would have deteriorated. So it always contributes. ”
Hiring lecturers without research time in mostly temporary positions is a threat to the quality of education
According to AOb it mainly depends on who is hired and under what conditions. AObChief Executive Marijtje Jongsma: "Hiring lecturers in mostly temporary positions without research time is a threat to the quality of education and the necessary interdependence of research and education." In addition, she points to the relationship between the number of students and the number of university (senior) lecturers and professors, the staff members. “These are the scientific functions in which teaching is carried out as well as research. Our education derives its scientific status from these functions. And especially this ratio has deteriorated since the introduction of the loan system from 26 students per staff member in 2015 to 27 students per staff member in 2019. ”
Also read: 'More money is needed for permanent research jobs'
If you work in academic education and you are curious about the plans of your university, check the app from NOS on 3.
