Dutch universities plan to restrict English teaching, sparki

The latest proposal released by the Dutch Ministry of Education has caused a stir, with major universities in the country expected to reduce the proportion of English courses, which will inevitably limit the number of foreign students studying abroad.

Dutch Education Minister Bruins has put forward specific recommendations regarding the use of English in universities: in most undergraduate courses, courses taught in foreign languages should not exceed one-third, and all courses taught entirely in English must be approved by a special committee. Currently, one-third of undergraduate courses in the Netherlands are taught in foreign languages, and half of the courses are taught in a mixture of Dutch and English.

Not only that, the Dutch government also plans to cut financial aid to EU students and increase tuition fees for non EU students, which are expected to save the Dutch government about 300 million euros. Bruins believes that policies that reduce the proportion of English taught courses and restrict foreign students can help solve problems such as student accommodation shortages and overcrowded classrooms, while also "improving the Dutch language expression ability of college students".

However, after the proposal was announced, it sparked heated discussions in the Netherlands. Van der Berg, the president of the Dutch University Association, criticized this: "This is the government chopping an axe at universities, which will reduce the number of courses in central cities and rural areas. Reducing the number of foreign students will also affect the financial income of Dutch universities, and ultimately the Dutch language courses will be damaged

The impact of the proposal to restrict English teaching in Dutch universities remains to be further observed.