Manifesto draws attention to students' problems

Education should be a key topic in the run-up to the Dutch parliamentary elections, scheduled for October 29, states a manifesto by the student organisations ISO, LSVb, and JOBmbo, as well as the school pupils' organisation LAKS. 

‘Students and pupils are growing up in a country where the pressure to perform is high, opportunities are unevenly distributed, mental health problems are on the rise, and many students struggle to make ends meet,’ the document states.

Sweating, knowing and forgetting
The four organisations demand a higher basic grant and compulsory internship allowances, among other things. In their view, politicians must also combat discrimination in education and make education more accessible.

The manifesto also criticises the pressure to perform exerted on pupils and students. ‘We must get rid of a paradigm of sweating, knowing and forgetting. We must shift the focus away from grades and back to the learning process.’ The document targets the central final exam in secondary education, which they believe should carry less weight.

Fierce political debates
As for higher education, the four organisations call for the abolition of the so-called 'binding study advice (BSA), the number of credits required of first-year students to be allowed into the second year. This way, students would not be expelled from a programme if they did not achieve sufficient credits. Many universities of applied sciences have already relaxed the BSA. 

The demands in the manifesto did not emerge out of nowhere. Politicians have been discussing student welfare and the financial challenges faced by young people for years. The basic grant was suspended for eight years and reinstated in 2023. The BSA also invariably leads to political debates.