More lecturers needed in higher education

There will soon be more lecturers in higher education, Minister Jet Bussemaker of Education said on the television program Buitenhof on Sunday. The exact number of extra lecturers will be revealed at the presentation of Bussemakers strategic agenda, which details the main points for higher education over the next four years, NU reports. "A lot more lecturers can be added. I am not talking about tens or hundreds, but i am talking about truly fundamental numbers", the minister said. The additional lecturers are needed because the number of students has increases significantly over the past few years. Bussemaker hopes that more lecturers will scale down higher education, resulting in more contact between lecturer and student. It should also bring "somewhat more idealism in education", which has faded somewhat into the background according to the minister. Bussemaker also wants to get rid of the "efficiency way of thought" - that university is a study factory that hands out diplomas as quickly as possible. There is extra money for additional lecturers because the basic grant for students was abolished last year. The introduction of the loan system for prospective students is expected to produce an annual 1 billion euros for the government. Bussemaker previously stated that this money could be use for new lecturers.