Report states: Dutch government interferes in education too often

Schools in The Netherlands have been left out of the decision-making process when it comes to education policy reforms according to Finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem’s 2008 commission. The government is too influential in educational affairs. This comes from a report from the Education Council, De Volkskrant reports. 

At the time, Dijsselbloem argued that schools should have more autonomy, but this was never addressed it seems. The Dijsselbloem commission was tasked by the Parliament to look at the problems with big educational reforms from the 90s.

Dijsselbloem now says that the schools themselves were unable to contribute their own ideas, and were forced to become the executors of policies formed in The Hague.

Geert ten Dam, president of the Education Council, says that teachers took Dijsselbloem’s analysis at the time as “a form of acknowledgement.” Despite this, the teachers have not seen improvement on their lives or their institutions from politics. Ten Dam states that politics can no longer see the long term in their reforms.

The Education Council is now urging for politics to take a back seat, and allow the teachers and educational institutions themselves to help in making the rules. The Government should limit themselves to the headline policies, but allow the education sector to contribute their insight.