All Dutch schools are to be required by law to give lessons in ‘citizenship’ so that children learn the ‘basic values of the democratic rule of law’. Education minister Arie Slob said on Tuesday that he was introducing draft legislation which will cover all schools, including private religious institutions, although schools will be able to devise their own lessons. ‘Children are not born with a democratic gene,’ Slob told Trouw in an interview. ‘Therefore schools have an important task in educating our children so they know their rights and respect the rights of others.’ For the past 10 years, lessons in citizenship have been included in history and social studies courses but that, says Slob, does not go far enough. ‘Some schools do it perfectly and have citizenship in their dna,’ he said. ‘Others deal with citizenship in one lesson a year.’ School inspectors last year criticised the lack of consistency and says some schools seem unable to deal with subjects such as freedom of expression, homosexuality and anti-semitism. Themes According to broadcaster NOS, themes such as Liberation day, the Wilhelmus national anthem, the Act of Abjuration (in which many of the provinces of the Netherlands declared independence from Spain in 1581) and the Keti Koti Festival are among the subjects which show the ‘historical development and the meaning of society in the Netherlands'. The draft legislation has now been opened up to consultation. The aim is to have the new subject embedded in the curriculum by the start of the 2019-2020 school year, NOS said.  More >

The Dutch higher education system can continue to offer more courses and degrees in English, as long as it leads to an improvement in standards and that Dutch students are not forced out, education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven said on Monday. In addition, it should be possible for universities and colleges to give priority to Dutch students, Engelshoven said in her long-awaited position paper on the higher education sector. There has been mounting concern in recent months about the surge in English at universities and last month they too published a document calling for action. The universities and hbo colleges called for the number of courses given in English to be capped in an attempt to contain the growing number of international students, who now account for around 10% of the student body. The institutions also said that matriculation and course fees for students from outside the European Union should be raised. Students from EU countries have the right to pay the equivalent fees to their Dutch counterparts, currently around €2,000. Benefits Van Engelshoven said that she wanted to encourage the use of English because it benefits Dutch science, the knowledge-based economy and students themselves. 'I support an open Dutch society in which we dare to look across boundaries,' she said. 'But I am not closing my eyes to the consequences of internationalisation and that is why I am going to ensure there is a place for every Dutch student.' Currently universities are only supposed to offer degrees in English if that is 'necessary', although the rules are widely flouted. A lobby group campaigning for better education in the Netherlands is actually taking Maastricht and Twente universities to court for offering too many degree courses in English without good reason to do so. The main points of the minister's plan: Limits to the number of student places on some English-language courses Better checks on the English skills of lecturers Higher fees for non EU students English courses must be linked to labour market demand Central registration of English courses Better coordination to ensure every degree subject is available in Dutch More effort to encourage Dutch students to study abroad Try to encourage more foreign students to stay in NL past graduation More research on financial impact of foreign students on education system National action plan on student housing with possible campaign against 'no internationals' policy Are you an international student or involved in university teaching. You can have your say in the comments section below.  More >

A lobby group campaigning for better education in the Netherlands is taking Maastricht and Twente universities to court for offering too many degree courses in English. The Beter Onderwijs Nederland association says the two universities are breaking the law because they are offering English language courses without good reason to do so. The schools inspectorate are also being taken to court by BON for failing to take action against the two universities. 'The law states explicitly that educational establishments should promote Dutch language skills,' chairman Ad Verbrugge told the Volkskrant. 'Students should learn to express themselves as precisely as possible in Dutch. This is an essential part of academic learning.' BON has singled out Maastricht and Twente because they have gone 'much too far' in introducing English, Verbrugge said. The use of English in Dutch higher education has become a political hot potato and education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven has promised to publish her vision in June. In a joint paper published on Monday, the Netherlands’ higher education institutions said the number of courses given in English should be capped in an attempt to contain the growing number of international students. An upper limit would allow the sector to ensure universities remained accessible to Dutch students, the VNSU said. Fees The institutions also said that matriculation and course fees for students from outside the European Union should be raised. Students from EU countries have the right to pay the equivalent fees to their Dutch counterparts, currently around €2,000. In August 2016, the Volkskrant reported that 60% of the 1,632 different degree courses at the country’s 13 universities are now in English. When it comes to master’s degrees, just 30% are taught in Dutch and three universities only offer master’s degrees in English. Some 75,000 foreign students are currently studying at Dutch universities and hbo colleges, accounting for around 10% of the total student body. Students from Germany, China, Indonesia, Poland and Belgium are most likely to stay in the Netherlands to work after they graduate.  More >

Universities and colleges have called for the number of courses given in English to be capped in an attempt to contain the growing number of international students. In a joint paper published on Monday, the Netherlands' higher education institutions said an upper limit would allow the sector to ensure universities remained accessible to Dutch students. The institutions also said that matriculation and course fees for students from outside the European Union should be raised. Students from EU countries have the right to pay the equivalent fees to their Dutch counterparts, currently around €2,000. Universities should also be more selective in deciding whether to give classes in English, improve Dutch and English language courses for students and do more to integrate international students into the system and student life. In some cases a cap could be introduced on the number of non-EU students applying for popular courses, the institutions said. The sector acknowledges that international students are needed to meet demand for graduate employees as the number of Dutch students declines, but says the numbers need to be manageable. 'Dutch higher education is extremely attractive internationally, but we need to think about how much growth we can absorb,' said Pieter Duisenberg, chairman of the universities' association VSNU. Currently international students make up 17% of the total population, but VSNU expects this proportion to rise to around 20% in the near future. Around 30% of university staff and 50% of postgraduates are internationals.  More >