Education is an ‘absolute top priority’ for the government, prime minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday, although he refused to rule out spending cuts.

Rutte had been called to parliament to discuss a new report which says the standard of education in the Netherlands is slipping and risks damaging the economy.
When pressed by D66 MPs about spending cuts, Rutte said: ‘You can never give cast-iron guarantees in politics,’ the Volkskrant reports.
Improvements
Rutte said the government had already implemented a number of measures recommended by the macro-economic thinktank CPB which drew up the report.
For example, efforts are underway to improve teaching standards, there is extra focus on the most talented pupils and on key subjects, such as Dutch, English and maths.
The government is also determined to press ahead with plans to pay bonuses to the best teachers, once a good system has been developed.
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