Strike on 10 March: join the teach-outs at schools and public organisations
Leiden University staff will be starting the national staggered strike against the cuts to higher education on 10 March. The Leiden and The Hague Action Committee is calling on staff to join teach-outs at schools and other public organisations on that day.
A fun way to have your voice heard against the planned cuts and to pass your knowledge on to society. Sign up now.
Why is the Leiden University Action Committee holding teach-outs on the strike day?
The announced cuts to universities and universities of applied sciences mean an erosion of research and teaching. They threaten not only the future of education in the Netherlands but also the future of Dutch society. Research, teaching and our society are inextricably linked. With teach-outs, the Action Committee wants to show solidarity with the entire education sector and to pass on knowledge to society.
How can give a teach-out and where can you sign up?
If you would like to do a teach-out at a school in the Leiden or The Hague region, fill in the form explaining what you would like to teach and whether this is for primary or secondary schools. If there is a match with a school, you’ll be connected with the teacher there to coordinate the lesson’s time and content together. Leiden University’s Wetenschapsknooppunt will facilitate the matching process.
As schools in Leiden and The Hague are currently on their spring holiday, we cannot guarantee that everyone will be linked to a school. Teach-ins in English will be more difficult to match to a school.
Another option is to contact a school or institution such as a care home or library yourself. If you manage to arrange a teach-our, please email this to wetenschapsknooppunt@iclon.leidenuniv.nl. For further questions contact the teach-out organisers in the Teach Out channel in Action HO Budget Cuts in Teams.
Schools wishing to take part in the teach-outs can sign up at wetenschapsknooppunt@iclon.leidenuniv.nl.
Any tips for giving a teach-out?
The main tip is to adjust your lesson to the target audience. If you are going to a primary school, be aware that young children have a short attention span, so make your lesson interactive. Bring objects that they can touch and use, for example. A short quiz or survey also works well to keep their attention, so: ‘Which of you has ever...?’ Young children like to share their experiences so make room for that in your lesson.
In teach-outs in secondary schools, it can be good to link to the subject the pupils are studying. And even better is to link to their current curriculum. If your lesson is for a pre-university class, then you can talk about what it is like to study at a university.
If you give a teach-out at another public institution, the main tip is to consider your audience.
Executive Board supports the initiative but university to remain open
The teach-out part of the strike action being taken in Leiden and The Hague on 10 March. The Action Committee is still working on the definitive programme. More information will follow soon.
The Executive Board fully supports the initiative and understands that students and staff want to have their voices heard against the planned cuts and erosion of higher education. The university supports the strike but is not closing. As the strike programme is not yet clear, make sure to read the announcements about the strike and possible effects over the next few weeks. IRead more in the news article about the strike.