In the coalition program that Schoof’s cabinet office published last Friday, it says that research, education, and science play an important role in society. Nevertheless, the cabinet office plans to move forward with the cutbacks totaling over one billon euros. “We have to be realistic in terms of what we can do,” the education section of the program reads.

The cabinet also intends to curb the internationalization of universities as part of a stricter migration policy. Some exceptions will be made, “for example in the natural sciences and technology”. Research funding body NWO and Open Science NL will also be cut. Students belonging to the bad luck generation, which missed out on the basic student grant, will receive extra compensation.

At odds

The manner in which the cabinet intends to execute its plans remains vague, say CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, the Netherlands Institute for Social Research, and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. In a joint reflection, they expressed strong criticism of the cabinet office’s plans, which in their opinion focus too much on the short term and aren’t concrete enough: “The Cabinet is prioritizing broad prosperity here and now at the expense of broad prosperity later and elsewhere.”

The three organizations say the cuts in higher education, research, and innovation constitute a long-term risk. Even though the plans are currently creating financial space for government finances, they may be at the expense of prosperity in the future. In other words, the cuts are “at odds with the government’s goal of improving the competitive position and business climate”.

The Christian National Trade Union Federation (CNV) qualified the cabinet office’s education measures as disastrous for its own ambitions. CNV board member Education Daniëlle Woestenberg: “This cabinet says A but does B. ‘Broad prosperity’ does not come out of the blue. For that you need education and training, important growth engines for the economy, and an open knowledge economy. That is precisely what you should be investing in. But what is this cabinet doing? This cabinet sees education as a budgetary bottom line and is cutting back on development opportunities and knowledge.”

Short term

It’s the same short-term thinking that is criticized by the universities. According to umbrella organization Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), the annual budget plan reveals that a portion of the cutbacks are taking effect sooner than expected. “The cabinet is cutting a total of 1 billion euros of the higher education and science budget, 257 million euros of which is already taking effect on January 1. This means 175 million euros will be cut one year earlier than announced in the outline agreement,” says UNL on its website. “This means staff and students will already be negatively affected in the current academic year.”

TU/e Executive Board President Robert-Jan Smits responded as follows on LinkedIn: “This puts the brakes on science and innovation in the Netherlands and therefore also on the future earning capacity of our country.” He refers to Mario Draghi’s report on Europe’s faltering competitiveness, which says investing in innovation and talent is the highest priority. “The cutbacks of the new cabinet are at odds with this. We will certainly feel the effects of this in our region as well. I therefore hope that The Hague will come to the realization that we are shooting ourselves in the foot with these austerity plans.”

Fine for slow students

Student associations are also sounding the alarm. According to the National Chamber of Associations (LKvV), the national umbrella organization of 49 student social associations, the cuts in higher education will have a negative effect. They’re especially bothered by the fine for slow students. According to the LKvV, imposing fines does not go with a “healthy education system”. The details of the fine are yet to be fleshed out. The LKvV expects to be involved in this process.

Mylou Miché, chair of the Dutch National Students' Association (ISO), says that students are in for a rough time. “Not only will the cuts in higher education heavily affect students, the introduction of the fine for slow students creates a harsh reality: higher education will become less accessible.”

Opposition

There is strong criticism on the government plans from the opposition as well. According to GroenLinks-PvDA party leader Frans Timmermans, the cutbacks in education are too big. “If you want to give reading skills a boost and want to invest in research, why would you make cuts in all of those areas?” Rob Jetten, leader of the D66 party, is also critical: “The cabinet wants to implement the biggest cutbacks in education of this century, which constitutes a frontal attack on our children, young people and collective future.”