Education Minister Dijkgraaf wants to stop using hierarchical terms ‘high’ and ‘low’ educated

If it were up to Robbert Dijkgraaf (D66), the terms ‘high’ and ‘low’ education are now a thing of the past: the education minister wants an end to the use of hierarchical designations in conversations, discussions and communication about further education. He wrote this on Wednesday in a letter to Parliament and in an open letter to future students in the Netherlands. According to Dijkgraaf, the loaded words perpetuate inequality and hinder the development of talent.

In the letter, the minister writes that there is currently a great demand for people with an MBO or HBO education, especially in sectors with major shortages such as healthcare, education and technology. At the same time, he sees that these courses are less popular because a situation has arisen in which a ‘higher’ education gives status and opens doors. Dijkgraaf warns against the pressure to obtain the ‘highest possible’ education because this can cause a lot of stress. He also wants to encourage young people to choose a place that suits their wishes and talents.

The minister therefore advocates a revaluation of secondary vocational education and higher professional education. The first step is to adjust the language used. Dijkgraaf is implementing this adjustment in his own ministry and calls on everyone to follow that example. “We need every talent. By organizing further education as a ‘range’, in which different courses are equally paralleled, we can achieve a number of important goals. For society, the labor market and especially for students themselves,” says Dijkgraaf.

The minister also wants to make education more equal by, for example, investigating whether a master’s title can be created for MBO students who want to further develop their skills in their profession after graduation and by allowing the various forms of education to work better together in education and research. He also wants to look for the ‘identity’ of MBO, HBO and WO: “If students no longer choose based on ‘height’, then it must be clear where you can learn what and where what type of research is done. ”

To share

Email the editor