News item | 08-09-2023 | 2:15 PM
Fundamental choices will have to be made in the coming years to ensure that we have a robust system of further education and science in 2040 for students, teachers and scientists. Minister Dijkgraaf of Education, Culture and Science wrote this in a letter to the House of Representatives when presenting the Future Outlook on secondary vocational education, higher education and science. This contains ideas and insights from education and science itself.
Minister Dijkgraaf: “This government has made billions available across the full length and breadth of education. This is the time to look at how we can keep education, research and innovation – the vital organs of society – healthy. So that we are ready for the changes when they tumble over each other. I am pleased that so many people wanted to contribute to the Future Outlook. This offers many starting points for the direction our system should take. Sometimes fundamental choices have to be made. Further education and science must also be current and robust in 2040. A system that can deal with long-term trends and the uncertainties that come with them. Whatever ultimately changes to the system, it must help students, teachers, researchers and employees to optimally develop their talents. The Netherlands is strong if every talent can flourish.”
Everyone could think along
Minister Dijkgraaf announced the Future Outlook last year to achieve a future-proof system for secondary vocational education, higher education and science. There were large meetings throughout the country where everyone with ideas, interest and a warm heart for further education and science could contribute their thoughts, such as students, teachers, scientists and international experts. About how you learn as a student in 2040, for example. Based on all the ideas and insights, a consortium of research agencies (KBA Nijmegen, ResearchNed, CHEPS, Andersson Elffers Felix (AEF) and the Kohnstamm Institute) has written a final report that the minister presents to the House: ‘Today is 2040 – Future Outlook for secondary vocational education, higher education and science’.
The Future Outlook outlines a number of trends and developments that will have a major impact on further education and science, such as persistent shortages on the labor market, an aging population and technological developments. The report does not contain one single piece of advice for the future design of the system, but outlines various options in order to show their consequences.
5 urgent themes
Given the cabinet’s outgoing status, Minister Dijkgraaf will not send a policy response in the form of a vision for the future to Parliament, as previously anticipated. He mentions 5 urgent themes for the future:
- opportunities for students,
- education and the labor market,
- the interests of all regions,
- equivalent further education and
- science for the society of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
There are trade-offs with each of those themes. Choices within one issue can have far-reaching consequences for other issues. Not everything can be done at the same time. Consider, for example, the choice to focus on the demands of the labor market, even if this limits students’ freedom of choice. Or do we put the individual student first, even if their choice does not always meet the wishes of the labor market?
According to Minister Dijkgraaf, this makes it clear that many choices involve a value judgement: what do we together consider important for the future? Elements in the system of further education and science are interrelated and influence each other. Elements of that system cannot each be tackled independently of each other. Furthermore, substantive choices can have consequences for the management of the system and how it is funded.
Minister Dijkgraaf: “The choices that are made concern everyone. I therefore call on students, teachers, administrators, employers, researchers and anyone interested to enter into a conversation about the future of our system.”
In the near future, a number of topics will be further elaborated in separate letters to Parliament: the equality of further education (‘the range’), financing and selection at higher professional education and universities.