Right-wing coalition thinks differently on student financing as “punitive measure”
Should universities and colleges deregister students who riot as soon as possible so they lose their student financing? A motion on the subject narrowly missed a majority on Tuesday. The NSC voted against it.
Student loans are not meant as punishment or reward, but as a means to make higher education more accessible, Minister Dijkgraaf said two weeks ago. He was responding to JA21”s question about whether students of higher education who participate in riots - such as in May”s pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Amsterdam - can have their money taken away.
Rioters
Still, Dijkgraaf did not completely rule out measures entirely. After all, educational institutions can deregister troublemakers and thus ensure that they still lose their right to study financing, he added.
JA21 Member of Parliament Joost Eerdmans was happy with that. He submitted a motion last week asking if the minister could indicate to colleges and universities that they can deregister students who misbehave badly? “So that the study financing of affected students can also be halted.”
The minister was not inclined to do that, he announced just before the votes in the House of Representatives. It is not for him to tell education administrators how to deal with their troublemakers.
Coalition
But Dijkgraaf has been the outgoing Education Minister for almost a year, as a remnant from the from the “old” House of Representatives. A new, right-wing majority has emerged since the election, and it thinks very differently on such issues. The PVV, VVD, and BBB voted in favor of the motion.
Because coalition partner NSC did not vote in favor, the motion did not achieve a majority. The NSC seems to be following the minister”s advice. The right to study financing should not be used as a punitive measure. Even calling on the education system to de-register radicals is apparently going too far for this party.
Visas can be revoked
Another motion by JA21 did pass, calling on the cabinet to revoke international students” visas “whose irrevocable conviction has established that they are a danger to public order.” Dijkgraaf had no principled objection to that. According to him, it is in line with the applicable rules.
DENK”s call for universities to sever ties with Israeli educational institutions received support only from the Party for the Animals and the SP.
