Debates may be sharp, critical and tough, says the new Minister of Education

The appointment of Gouke Moes to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science caused quite a stir last week. A former teacher, Moes is 33 years old and had only just started working for the Provincial Executive when the invitation to take the ministry vacated by Eppo Bruins came along. But that's not the only reason why his appointment was controversial: last year, Moes reacted to a vandalised rainbow bike path by saying on X: 'This is how polarisation goes. A shame for both sides.' X users are still criticising him over the statement, even though he has apologised for it.

Henk Vermeer, the founder of Moes' party, BBB, fully supports his appointment. He suspects that Moes is highly gifted and thinks he is ‘always one step ahead’ of others. Vermeer also declared that ‘thanks to his experience as a teacher, Gouke knows what is going on and does not have to rely on reports that are pushed into his hands.’

Autonomy
Knowing what is going on and not relying on reports... Given the rise of populism, many wonder how the new outgoing Minister of Education will proceed. On Wednesday, he had the opportunity to demonstrate this in a debate with the House of Representatives on academic freedom. Like his predecessors, he appears to defend the autonomy of universities and universities of applied sciences. He also stands up for students' right to protest, which frustrated some parties.

No limits to academic freedom
‘Universities are the stage of disturbances,’ said Patrick van der Hoeff (from the far-right party PVV), referring to pro-Palestinian protests during the opening of the academic year. ‘The minister keeps saying that he cannot intervene because of autonomy and academic freedom. When is he going to call university administrators to account for their failure?’

Political party Denk is on the other side of the political spectrum, and calls on universities to sever academic ties with Israel. ‘For us, there is a clear limit to academic freedom: it cannot be used to justify genocide,’ said its member Doğucan Ergin.

But the minister reacted in the same way as his predecessors. He said that students have the right to protest and that administrators must report any vandalism or violence to the police.

Light on blind spots
Moes: ‘We are jointly responsible for a culture in which we can debate freely and safely, even if the debate is sharp, critical or harsh.’ He wanted nothing to do with a ban on demonstrations.

‘There must be room for demonstrations, including those taking part in educational institutions,’ he said. ‘Academic freedom is an absolute prerequisite for a well-functioning society and a pillar of our constitutional state.’

He emphasised the value of academic freedom several times: ‘In times of fake news and polarisation, we must be able to investigate what is true and what is not without hindrance. Academic freedom ensures that our industry knows what works and what does not. Academic freedom sheds light on blind spots.’

No additional funds
Jan Paternotte (D66) was satisfied with the minister's position. The fact that the minister neatly stood up for academic freedom gave him confidence. Paternotte also asked for additional money to be allocated for education, but that request was not granted.

Moes' party, BBB (an acronym that stands for Farmer-Citizen Movement in Dutch, Ed.) is normally a loud voice in debates about riots and demonstrations at universities. The party was absent on Wednesday. The Party for the Animals, which had previously announced a motion of no confidence against the new minister because of his tweets, was also absent.