Education

The Dutch government has announced a major restructuring of vocational education budgets to support regional colleges facing sharp declines in student numbers. Under a new plan set for 2029, funding will shift away from larger institutions to protect essential programmes in demographically shrinking areas like Zeeland and Limburg. The policy introduces a fixed baseline budget for colleges to reduce competition and ensure regional educational accessibility.

Education Minister Rianne Letschert has welcomed the government's plan to introduce a legally mandated internship allowance for vocational, professional, and university students, arguing that practical training deserves financial recognition. While the new legislation establishes the obligation to pay interns, it deliberately avoids setting a strict statutory minimum amount to prevent employers from cutting back on available placements, leaving sectors free to determine their own fair rates instead. Short-term placements and international internships will be exempt from the new rules, though Letschert warned that a legal minimum floor could still be introduced in the future if industry-set allowances remain too low.

Around seven hundred oral exams at special secondary schools were cancelled due to extreme heat, leaving vulnerable pupils facing delays. The CvTE and Sector Council‑GO say the decision was unavoidable because of Code Red conditions. New exam dates will follow once supervisors become available.

TU Delft may now reserve 30 percent of places in Aerospace Engineering for women. The Human Rights Board says the plan is justified due to the long‑standing underrepresentation of women in the programme. All applicants must still complete the same selection procedure.

The Netherlands has recorded its first drop in international student enrolment in nearly two decades. New figures from Nuffic show a slight decline driven mainly by fewer students from Germany and China, even as technical programmes continue to attract more foreign talent.

A technical glitch has delayed the practical exam results for over 56,000 Dutch vocational students by 24 hours. The delay occurred because the Board for Tests and Exams could not publish the necessary grading coefficients on time, leaving nervous teenagers waiting. Teachers also face double the workload after spending the morning informing families of the postponement ahead of a second round of calls tomorrow

Students in Dutch higher education continue to report high levels of satisfaction, despite ongoing concerns about study pressure. The latest National Student Survey shows stable results across teaching quality and social climate. Differences remain between universities and universities of applied sciences.

The Dutch government says special education schools will remain, despite plans to make all schools inclusive by 2035. The statement follows concerns among teachers about merging education types. Officials say the plans have been widely misunderstood.