Dutch Students and Professors Protest Education Cutbacks

Students and professors took to the streets of The Hague in opposition to education cutbacks.

Students and professors took to the streets of The Hague on Friday.

Protesters turned out in the thousands to raise their voice in opposition to the government’s proposed cutbacks to education. The proposed changes would see students in the Netherlands who take longer to graduate potentially paying an extra €3,000 per year in fees. Their college or university would also have to pay fees, and these measures are expected to generate €370m for education.

The government has also proposed to stop giving Dutch students grants or aid to pursue masters studies.
Some university officials claim that the new provisions could lead to losing as many as 7,000 jobs in the first year. The Cabinet disputes that assessment, and claims that any budget cuts will be matched by investments in improving the quality of education.

Many Dutch universities canceled Friday’s class schedule so students could attend, with many chartered buses rolling up to Parliament today.

While peaceful, the demonstration has been called the largest student demonstration in the Netherlands since 1988. It’s estimated that between 11,000 and 15,000 students and university staff showed up to protest, while close to 1,000 professors and lecturers picketed in full academic garb.