Student - September 28, 2009
Cees Veerman to examine higher education
Former Minister of Agriculture Cees Veerman will hold the education system up to the light. Minister Plasterk said this yesterday in the news documentary 'Buitenhof'.

Two flavours
Minister Plasterk feels that higher education is bursting at the seams. 'When this system was set up, only five percent of the population attended higher education. It's now fifty percent. And we continue to have just two flavours to offer: university of applied sciences (HBO), or university. I think that far from removing the difference between HBO and university, we should instead introduce more flavours.
Selection
He does not see student selection as a solution. 'We fence students out in this way, instead of helping them.'
Moreover, a new system should be considered regardless of any cost cutting in the future, he says. 'If we make changes, it will certainly cost money in due course.' /HOP