Joris van de Riet: ‘Student associations are an asset – don’t dismiss them’
The Dutch cabinet’s plans to introduce a ‘langstudeerboete’ (‘long-term study penalty’) are causing quite a stir. PhD candidate Joris van de Riet has written an op-ed article on this in the Dutch daily newspaper ‘Trouw’. A long-term study penalty could have disastrous implications for student associations.
The long-term study penalty is controversial. It could result in increased stress when it comes to choosing a degree programme and more pressure to achieve good results. Teaching professionals fear that studying will soon be reserved for young people with rich parents. In his op-ed, Joris van de Riet highlights another disadvantage of the long-term study penalty: it decreases the appeal of membership of student associations. He explains: ‘Many students will live at home rather than moving to another city. Students who still decide to join associations will think twice before deciding to be part of a committee or board year. Moreover, any time they spend on the association is time not spent studying, and so students will be less likely to venture outside of their homes and studies.’
Joris is aware that not everyone will mind if there’s less enthusiasm for student associations: ‘Judging by the media coverage, you might think that student life mainly involves drinking, violence and sexism. So it’s not surprising that there are regular calls to scrap grants for student association board members or even to ban student associations altogether. These calls assume a false image of student associations.’
Joris stresses that students also learn positive lessons and gain life experience from being members of student associations: ‘Associations offer their members opportunities to organise activities, publish a yearbook, organise trips and so much more. These kinds of activities introduce students to organising projects, drawing up budgets and working in committees before entering “real life”.’
Read the full op-ed in Trouw (in Dutch)
Photo: Unsplash+