Today, pilots for a “smarter academic year” are starting in the Netherlands. Kicking off the project is the University of Amsterdam.
Over the next few years, a total of fifteen universities will take part in various pilot projects, which are meant to give teachers and students more “space and peace”.
The pilot phase of this project will run until 2026 — and the government is allocating a whopping €13 million to it.
Make universities great again
Research by De Jonge Akademie has revealed that the Dutch academic year is long and intense. Oh echt?! 🫠
On average, as the government claims, Dutch school years are about nine weeks longer than at other, comparable European institutions.
READ MORE | Studying in the Netherlands: the ultimate guide
Where students at your average Nederlandse university have 30 educational weeks, students at Ghent University (Belgium) have 24, and at St. Andrews in Scotland, only 21. 😳
The result? Stressed students, tired teachers, anxious researchers, and a whole lot of pressure.
Today is already a terrible day and the cherry on top is the grade I got on a reflection paper of a political simulation of one of my course . Got a low grade without knowing why I got this grade
— Gorian @playing ykz ishin (@zhaochuuu) December 20, 2021
I hate this dutch ass university
Makes everything hard for no reason
But that’s not all! What makes things even worse is that, outside of the weeks where lectures and exams take place, students get no breathing room. AT. ALL.
Because exams and deadlines are often scheduled right after holidays, students spend their Christmas “break” with their heads in the books, cramming for upcoming exams. 📚
Here’s the plan
To make the academic year more manageable, all while maintaining the A+ quality of Dutch education, the researchers of the De Jonge Akademie have come up with a plan, which Minister of Education Dijkgraaf is gladly putting into action.
In total, 42 pilot projects will allow universities across the country to test out the new and improved academic year.
READ MORE | Student loans, financing, and scholarships in the Netherlands in 2023
The projects boil down to two major points of improvement: reducing the number of weeks with education and exams, and organising the existing educational activities in a better way.
More time and flexibility
While teachers and researchers will get more time for research and scientific activities, the measures should give students more time for extracurricular activities, internships, and summer school.
READ MORE | Rejected! University of Amsterdam plans to admit fewer international students
Each university can choose up to three measures to implement and test. The University of Groningen, for example, is choosing to schedule fewer teaching and testing weeks in some of their bachelor programmes, according to de Volkskrant.
What do you think about the government’s plan to make the academic year more manageable? Tell us in the comments!