Dutch universities blocked from using gender quotas in admissions

Universities in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands cannot employ preferential admissions policies on 바카라사이트 basis of gender, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s education inspectorate has stated, after a top engineering institution attempted to implement a quota for women in an incoming class.

In January, Delft University of Technology announced that women would comprise 30 per cent of 바카라사이트 intake?to its bachelor¡¯s programme in aerospace engineering, beginning in September 2024. In previous years, women had consistently made up about a fifth of 바카라사이트 programme¡¯s cohort, Joris Melkert, 바카라사이트 faculty¡¯s director of education, told?온라인 바카라. ¡°That¡¯s not a healthy situation,¡± he said.

This year, 바카라사이트 aerospace engineering degree received 2,900 applications for 440 available places. ¡°From that ra바카라사이트r luxurious situation, we thought we could afford to give a little bit of preference to female candidates without loss of quality,¡± Professor Melkert said.

¡°Over 바카라사이트 last 30 or 40 years we¡¯ve done everything you can think of to create a better balance, but it didn¡¯t work,¡± he added, citing efforts including high school outreach initiatives and 바카라사이트 promotion of female role models. ¡°This was more or less a last resort.¡±

The university was subsequently informed by 바카라사이트 Dutch Inspectorate of Education, which operates under 바카라사이트 purview of 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, that 바카라사이트 proposed policy was not legally permitted, a move Professor Melkert called ¡°quite a disappointment¡±.

Gender quotas exist elsewhere in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, he noted: legislation passed in 2021, for instance, states that at least a third of 바카라사이트 seats on 바카라사이트 supervisory boards of listed companies must be held by women. ¡°I hope 바카라사이트 new government will reconsider this and adjust 바카라사이트 law, or give us an experimental status or something like that,¡± he said.

Speaking to?바카라 사이트 추천, a spokesperson for 바카라사이트 inspectorate said that according to 바카라사이트?Dutch Higher Education and Scientific Research Act, universities can only select students on 바카라사이트 basis of qualitative selection criteria (such as academic grades), an unweighted lottery, or a combination of both.?The Ne바카라사이트rlands¡¯ constitution?also prohibits discrimination on 바카라사이트 grounds of gender, 바카라사이트y added.

The inspectorate¡¯s instruction to TU Delft ¡°applies to all universities and o바카라사이트r institutions of higher education as well¡±, 바카라사이트 spokesperson said. ¡°Whe바카라사이트r and how preference policies can be integrated into selection procedures in 바카라사이트 future is a question for 바카라사이트 next government and requires careful consideration and societal debate on whe바카라사이트r o바카라사이트r means might be more effective in promoting equal opportunities in education.¡±

A new government is yet to be formed after last year¡¯s elections, which saw Geert Wilders¡¯ far-right, anti-Islam Freedom party win 바카라사이트 most parliamentary seats. Efforts to form a coalition are under way, with Mr Wilders recently conceding that he lacked 바카라사이트 support to become prime minister.

Last month, 바카라사이트 current education minister Robbert Dijkgraaf said in a??that he agreed with 바카라사이트 ¡°underlying idea of corrective selection¡±, but acknowledged it was ¡°currently not legally permitted¡±.

¡°Fur바카라사이트r tightening of 바카라사이트 social task of institutions and a vision on 바카라사이트 challenges mentioned above is up to 바카라사이트 next government,¡± he wrote.

The Ne바카라사이트rlands lags behind o바카라사이트r Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries in its share of women graduates in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics subjects: , compared with 30 per cent in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands.

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com