Up to and including 2027, the cabinet will spend a total of 4.4 billion euros on MBO. This is stated in the plans that Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf (Education, Culture and Science, D66) presented on Thursday during a meeting at a ROC in Nijmegen. The amount is the sum of the funds previously announced in the coalition agreement and during Budget Day.
The cabinet is allocating approximately 0.9 billion euros per year for practical education. The money is made available for various ambitions, such as combating internship discrimination, retaining teachers, combating school drop-out and more access to sports facilities.
In a letter to parliament that the cabinet sent on Thursday, Minister Dijkgraaf writes that he mainly focuses on equal treatment of MBO students and on linking students to the currently tight labor market.
“The equality of all students, including senior secondary vocational education, is paramount to me. We really need all forms and talents, they really stand at the bar and deserve the appreciation that is due to them,” said Minister Dijkgraaf.
Reward top performance
For example, the ministry wants to introduce excellence programmes. In order to “reward and highlight top performance”. Just like at higher professional education and the university, students must be given the guidance and space to find their own, unique path, says the letter to parliament. „Honors are not reserved for university students.”
According to Adnan Tekin, chairman of the umbrella organization of MBO schools, the way in which Minister Dijkgraaf puts MBO on the shield is downright refreshing. “The way in which he puts students first and values MBO is not only rightly but also heartwarming,” says the chairman of the MBO Council in a written statement.
Tekin also warns. The ‘unique character of MBO’, for example its intertwining with the business community, should not be compromised in the search for equality. He is also critical of the approach to internship discrimination through so-called ‘stage matching’, in which the school would link student and company. This is often still done through job applications.
Schools should be able to decide for themselves how to tackle internship discrimination, says the chairman of the MBO council. “You don’t remove prejudice with stage matching, that takes a lot more.”
Career perspective teacher
The AOb, the national union of teachers and employees in education, is “worried” about whether these amounts are being spent properly, says AOb chairman Tamar van Gelder. For example, 142 million euros per year has been set aside for career prospects for teachers. But concrete agreements about this have yet to be made. Van Gelder: “It is important to invest in MBO. But a good teacher is the key to good vocational education. In this agenda, the teacher is primarily the executor and not the pivot.”
The House of Representatives will debate the plans on 9 November.
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