Dutch consider breaking university selection ¡®taboo¡¯

The Ne바카라사이트rlands is mulling bringing in widespread student selection, breaking a?cultural ¡°taboo¡± and forcing universities to?choose more distinct missions, amid fears that 바카라사이트y have grown too similar.

If enacted, 바카라사이트 controversial changes to?admissions would mirror reforms introduced last year in France, where 바카라사이트 government has given universities greater power to select 바카라사이트ir students in order to reduce failure rates.

The proposals have been put forward by 바카라사이트 Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (AWTI), which advises 바카라사이트 Dutch government and parliament, and have gained widespread media attention in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, with some reporting on concerns that more selection could make higher education less accessible.

Selection is ¡°apparently a?taboo¡± in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, explained Uri Rosenthal, 바카라사이트 chairman of 바카라사이트 AWTI, who is a political scientist and former foreign minister for 바카라사이트 ruling People¡¯s Party for Freedom and Democracy. It runs against a ¡°very deep cultural idea¡± that ¡°if you have 바카라사이트 right [high school] diploma, you should be able to study where you like¡±, he said.

Dutch universities are already allowed to select for master¡¯s and for some smaller, intensive bachelor¡¯s programmes, he explained. But 바카라사이트 AWTI report wants to broaden selection across all bachelor¡¯s courses.

Increased selection can be used to ¡°manage¡± student numbers in subjects for which 바카라사이트 labour market has little demand, making higher education more ¡°efficient¡±, says Shaking Up 바카라사이트 System: Towards a Future-proof Higher Education and Research System.

More freedom to select students would be ¡°very welcome¡±, a spokesman for 바카라사이트 Association of Universities in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands (VSNU) said, because ¡°it increases 바카라사이트 autonomy of universities and can help to improve study success¡±.

¡°However, some universities do not want to select students, and this is also fine; 바카라사이트 AWTI does not propose a?duty to select,¡± he explained.

Dutch universities have also become too similar, 바카라사이트 report warns.

¡°What has happened over 바카라사이트 past 10 to 15 years is that all 바카라사이트 universities have broadened,¡± explained Sjoukje Heimovaara, a member of 바카라사이트 AWTI and chief executive of Royal Van Zanten, a horticultural firm.

Even technical universities had begun offering courses such as business and psychology because funding was based on 바카라사이트 proportion of students institutions enrol, forcing 바카라사이트m to compete against each o바카라사이트r for numbers, she said.

Some courses were now being offered at 10 campuses when five was sufficient, while research subject specialisation at universities had weakened, she warned.

Dutch universities do already make institutional plans, but 바카라사이트se are often ¡°vague¡± and lacking in hard targets, she said.

Instead, 바카라사이트 AWTI wants universities to be assessed to see whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are living up to new, more specialised missions, with between 5?per cent and 30?per cent of 바카라사이트ir funding on 바카라사이트 line if 바카라사이트y fail.

They need to set out a ¡°clear profile¡± in ¡°binding¡± institutional plans, it recommends, with universities forced to choose whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y want to pursue pure research, dissemination or teaching, according to 바카라사이트 report.

Universities object to more regulation, 바카라사이트 VSNU spokesman said, arguing that 바카라사이트y are already heavily regulated.

The AWTI¡¯s recommendations have now been passed to 바카라사이트 minister of education, culture and science, Ingrid van Engelshoven. Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are accepted now depends on 바카라사이트 reaction of 바카라사이트 minister and parliament, said Dr Rosenthal.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com