Sunday 07 August 2022

'Protestant school should face prosecution over outing pupils'

'Protestant school should face prosecution over outing pupils'

Two former pupils at a fundamentalist Protestant school have initiated legal proceedings to force the public prosecution department to take action against the institution for its approach on homosexuality. A criminal inquiry was launched into the 1,700-pupil Gomarus school community in Gorinchem after former pupils told NRC last year they had been blackmailed by staff into declaring their sexuality to their parents. The department concluded in June last year that the school had acted beyond the boundaries of acceptable behaviour... More >

Chinese-funded human rights centre closes

Chinese-funded human rights centre closes

The VU university in Amsterdam is shutting down its Cross Cultural Human Rights Centre (CCHRC), which has been criticised for receiving €300,000 in funding from China. The facility was taken offline in January after it said some of the publications on its website were incompatible with its vision of the ‘universality of human rights’. Academics affiliated with the CCHRC had defended China’s human rights record in public and on Chinese state television. An independent committee criticised its methods and said... More >

One in 20 students uses ADHD med for study

One in 20 students uses ADHD med for study

Nearly one in 20 college students may have unlawfully used ADHD medication in the past year, hoping to improve their studying and get better grades. New research from the Dutch Institute for Rational Use of Medicine (IVM) and the Trimbos Institute suggests students often receive the medication from friends, family or other acquaintances without a doctor’s prescription. The medicines in question are mostly the stimulants methylphenidate, (lis)dexamfetamine and modafinil—the first two classified as hard drugs under Dutch drug laws. All... More >

Schools still pressure parents for money

Schools still pressure parents for money

A majority of secondary schools are still putting parents under pressure to pay for extra school activities despite the voluntary nature of the contribution, the schools inspectorate has found. Since August last year, schools are no longer allowed to exclude pupils whose parents have not paid a voluntary contribution, which can range from 20 euros to several hundred, from extra activities such as school trips or additional classes. But pressure on parents to pay persists, an evaluation of 160 secondary... More >

Lack of tech staff could halt transition

Lack of tech staff could halt transition

A lack of tech students is threatening to put the brakes on the energy transition in the Netherlands, industry chiefs have warned. Electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, sustainable energy studies, information technology and data science are the areas of expertise most needed to carry out the transition, but student numbers are down across the board, an analysis of university and HBO student enrolment by the Financieele Dagblad has found. The number of students choosing a career as data analysts and engineers,... More >

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