Agreement outlines the new government: Low priority for education

Other important intentions of the Outline Agreement are:

• Converting the spread of support into solid structural financing.
• Establish a (minimum) standard for the portion of funding allocated to the initial operation and a maximum standard for “overhead expenses”.
• Involve school leaders and involve teachers in resource expenditure.
• Continue reviewing the current curriculum while specifying a number of basic objectives.
• “Absolute priority” is for basic skills in reading, writing and numeracy.
• Teaching methods must be effective and politically neutral.
• The budget annex to the Outline Agreement shows that the formed parties intend to cut approximately €300 million in basic education:
• Ending the job mix in the Randstad (additional funding allocated to reward teachers in the Randstad regions): 75 million from 2026.
• Eliminate the support system for broad transitional categories and reduce investment in schools and the environment (arrears): 55 million in 2025, and 210 million structural in the following years.
• In addition, the social service time subsidy will be abolished: 105 million in 2025, and will rise to 200 million.

The ambition is not clear

Quality education for all students is seen by almost all parties in the House and in society as an important foundation for our future. However, education does not appear to be a top priority for the formed parties; Ambitions in this area were not reflected in the framework agreement. The Board of Secondary Education regrets that the next government intends to make cuts in education and does not restructure all the resources invested by the previous government in education. Additionally, there is a lack of much-needed investment in educational housing.

Restriction of professional space?

The broad outline agreement raises questions on a number of issues:

• The focus on basic skills such as reading, writing and numeracy is justified, but the detailed note overlooks the fact that quality education has a broader mission that, in addition to qualification, also relates to personal development and socialization. The pedagogical mission of education goes beyond teaching citizenship skills.
• In addition to emphasizing the importance of the agreement's citizenship mission, the forming parties also provide guidance on how to implement it. They stress that there should be “no room for anti-democratic and anti-rule of law views to be transmitted by teachers or in educational materials.” The Education Inspectorate is charged with monitoring this. The agreement also states: “Directors are dismissed more quickly than civilian employees.” [bedoeld wordt: burgerschapsopdracht] It doesn't happen.” This raises the question of whether the government is getting too close to restricting the professional scope of teachers and administrators.
• It is striking that the issue of equal opportunities did not receive any attention in the Framework Agreement. Postponing selection, which scholars consider one of the most important measures to increase equality of opportunity, was not discussed. Rather, the support system for broad bridge categories will be abolished.
  

The intentions contained in the Framework Agreement are formulated in general terms. This presents both opportunities and risks. Much depends on the concrete detail in a coherent plan. It is important that the new minister undertakes this elaboration in consultation with the educational field and chooses a long-term approach.