Higher education budget cuts delayed, Tilburg cuts continues
The 190-million-euros efficiency cut at universities and colleges has been postponed for one year. Also the study delay fine is postponed.
Because the Reformed Political Party (SGP) did not support the plans, state secretary of Education Halbe Zijlstra and minister of Education Marja van Bijsterveldt could not get a majority vote in the House. The ministers decided to postpone the proposal for one year.
In a letter to the House of Representatives the politicians put off the plans.
The delay does not mean that the hiring freeze for temporary staff at the university will be called off. Yesterday the Executive Board of Tilburg University announced that it will proceed with the cutbacks of 15 million euros. According to the Executive Board these cutbacks are not related to the government policies but to the Veerman report.
The Veerman report (summary) however, does not mention budget cuts. On the contrary, Veerman writes: ‘The ambitions for the future can not be achieved in a context of budget cuts.” Veerman talks about profiling and a finance method where universities no longer receive money per student. This new method could be beneficial for a small university like Tilburg University.
The Executive Board writes in a memo: “In the long-term our university has to make big strategic follow-up choices because of the Veerman report.”
In addition, chairman of the executive board Hein van Oorschot stated in a response: “The government wants to introduce the Veerman plans, but there is no money. Guess who pays the bills! Moreover, we relate the 15-million cutbacks only for a small part to Veerman’s (intensifying education) plans. Furthermore, it is simply a matter of cutbacks and it is structurally not better that the government postpones a part of the budget cuts for one year.” [MW/transl.YV]
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