Tweede Kamer votes in favor of limiting students for English speaking courses

A majority of the Tweede Kamer believes it should be possible to limit the number of international students to the English-language variant of a course at a college or university. The proposition by the VVD was given sufficient support to the chagrin of D66. The liberals thought that it was not a good idea to vote on this plan before having a debate on the topic.

The plan is meant to allow educational institutions to take in fewer international students. Until now, it was only possible to set a maximum for a course's English-language and Dutch-language variants.

Claire Martens of the VVD has submitted this plan as a minor amendment to the budget of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW). Jan Paternotte (D66) called it a "constitutional mess."

In this way, the Tweede Kamer does not go through the usual legislative procedure. The Council of State provides advice, and the Tweede Kamer - in Paternotte's words - conducts a "decent debate." Moreover, the Senate cannot make changes to the proposal without voting down the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science budget.

The Tweede Kamer did not agree to Paternotte's proposal not to put the amendment to a vote.

Outgoing education minister Robbert Dijkgraaf is preparing a law with the aim of admitting fewer international students to colleges and universities. The VVD does not want to wait for this and has, therefore, submitted the amendment.