Dutch Second Chamber deputies Peter Kwint (SP) and Harry van der Molen (CDA) have called on the Education Ministry to limit the number of people admitted in the country for studying purposes as higher education is becoming less accessible to locals and its quality is being threatened, writes the Parool.
The petitioners note that “after years of consultations, no solution has been found” to the mounting problems in the higher education. Dutch universities and political parties have been sounding alarm about growing internationalization of academic education for some time now. International students bring in money, which impelled many educational institutions to actively recruit students abroad. On the other hand, the government contribution per student decreased from €20,000 in 2000 to €15,000 in 2020, making foreign students a lucrative means for universities to generate income.
But the downside of the increased internationalization is that it “increases the pressure on the education system,” as there is a shortage of study facilities, and the workload for academic staff has been “unacceptably high” for years.
In addition to the cost to Dutch universities, however, any plans to curb foreign student numbers will lead to concerns over the demand for graduate employees as the number of local students declines. International students help ensure Dutch campuses provide a vibrant and diverse environment for young people to learn and compete in.
International students make up over 23 percent of the country’s overall student population. Most applications for study purposes in the Netherlands are filed by students from China, India, the US, Turkey, and Indonesia.