DutchNews.nl - 50,000 teachers protest against government education cuts

Around 50,000 teachers demonstrated in the Amsterdam Arena on Tuesday in protest at government plans to cut the education budget.

Teaching unions laid on buses to ferry 23,000 strikers to the location, but thousands more made their own way to Amsterdam, mainly by train, according to press reports.

Teaching staff are particularly angry about education minister Marja van Bijsterveldt's plan to cut €300m from the €3.7bn budget for special needs education.

The strike is also against her intention to increase their working hours and freeze their salaries.

Talking of the cuts to special education, AOb union chairman Walter Dresscher told the meeting cuts are unnecessary. 'There are enough alternatives for saving money,' he said.

According to Michel Rog of the CNV teaching union, every child has the right to a good education. 'We must take care of our education and not make cuts,' he said.

There were no politicians among the speakers. Van Bijsterveldt said she would attend but when she was told she would not be allowed to speak, she decided to use the time in preparation for the forthcoming education debate in parliament.

Socialist party leader Emile Roemer was spotted among the striking teachers and opposition MPs showed their support on Twitter. 'The cabinet is taking opportunity away from children, leaving parents without rights and making teachers desperate,' tweeted Labour MP Hans Spekman.

Readers' Comments

Please explain the term "industrial" in the context of the demonstration.

PS: Support the teachers; support the children.

By JG | 6 March 2012 5:34 PM

Great to see people standing up for their rights in such large numbers.

By AW | 6 March 2012 6:56 PM

Less education budget, less future for our country.
Responsible? The duet Rutte-Wilders, the main problem for our country currently.

By zenplus | 6 March 2012 6:59 PM

If anyone (as a parent) has visited a special school (class 2 and 4) has to agree that the cut is right. The Dutch teachers are too easily send their students to a special school or apply for special helps for children with even minor problems-the Dutch psychologists are readily to assign those children one of their hundreds and thousands labels. Sending children too easily to a special school hurts both children and parents with tax payers money.

By A Parent | 7 March 2012 11:37 AM

A Parent: I agree in principle with your comment however I really think that are a large number of young students here in NL that really actually need this categorization, and really need the special help. What about them? I do not think the issue is as black and white as you'd like it to be.

By Bill | 8 March 2012 11:20 AM