Tuesday 10 December 2019

Teachers plan two-day strike in January

Teachers plan two-day strike in January

The largest teaching union is planning a two-day strike at the end of January as it steps up its demands for better pay and working conditions in primary schools. The AOb said a straw poll of around 6,000 members indicated that there was around 90% support for the stoppage on January 30 and 31, which follows a one-day strike on November 6. On that occasion around 3,500 schools nationwide closed for the day. The previous strike went ahead after the... More >

Amsterdam gets tough on school extras

Amsterdam gets tough on school extras

Amsterdam city council says it will stop giving extra subsidies to schools which ask parents for more than €225 a year in voluntary contributions. Parental contributions, used by schools to fund extras such as music lessons or lunchtime supervision, prove an obstacle to poorer families and increase inequality in educational opportunities, education alderman Marjolein Moorman has told councillors. ‘Amsterdam is a city in which every child should have equal opportunites and no parent should be put off by high contributions,’... More >

Female students outstrip men as vets

Female students outstrip men as vets

With slightly more young women than men going to university, female students are dominating in an increasing number of fields, figures from national statistics agency CBS show. For example, 81% of students studying veterinary science are female, as are 65% of law students and 58% of biochemistry and biology students. Men outstrip the number of women studying humanities, architecture and business administration and account for over 80% of transport and logistics, computer science and technology students. More >

Gambling tax could pay for student grants

Gambling tax could pay for student grants

The fundamentalist Christian SGP has launched a plan to increase the amount of money available for student grants – by increasing the tax on gambling. The Netherlands abolished student grants in 2015 for all but the poorest students, but there is now majority support in parliament for a rethink. Currently people whose parents have an income of less than €50,000 a year can claim some government support on a sliding scale. The poorer the parents, the more a student can... More >

4,000 schools closed as teachers strike

4,000 schools closed as teachers strike

Over 4,000 primary, secondary and special schools are closed on Wednesday as teachers nationwide go on strike in support of more pay and better working conditions. Teachers are calling for a structural increase in funding to reduce the pressure on teaching staff and increase salaries, as schools report record shortages of teachers. Some 80% of the country’s schools are involved in the strike, which coincides with a two-day debate on the education ministry budget for 2020. On Friday the government... More >

English skill survey fails the test

English skill survey fails the test

The Dutch press have been quick to champion Rotterdam’s English speaking skills following publication of a report claiming Rotterdammers have the best English in the world. The research gives Rotterdammers a score of 71.68 out of 100, just ahead of Amsterdam and The Hague, and says  Rotterdam’s maritime history and the presence of international companies and Erasmus University are behind the Rotterdammers’ win But the research by a private language testing institute based in Switzerland is based on an online... More >

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