BSA debate: Student welfare is paramount, says minister
Education Minister Dijkgraaf is not letting himself be thrown off course: as far as he is concerned, there will be more flexible binding study advice. The Lower House wants to know if this is a good idea.
To improve student welfare, Minister Dijkgraaf wants to relax the BSA with a bill, he announced in May. Starting in 2025, students will only have to obtain 30 out of 60 points in the first year of study. In the second year, they will then have to score a minimum of 30 points again.
Like the universities, several parties in the House of Representatives questioned the relaxed standard, discussion minutes revealed. The minister has no plans to change course, however. He remains unconvinced by the criticism and besides, student organizations think it is a good plan.
Basis
Several parties asked him how he arrived at the number of points. For example, the VVD, which is very outspoken against the proposal, wanted to know why he chose such a low number. They also asked whether he expects this to increase the dropout rate in later years of study.
Dijkgraaf believes that the standard of 45 points now often used is too demanding on first-year students. They already face numerous new stressful issues such as finding housing and learning how to study. Another argument is that students from outside Europe must already complete 30 credits to keep their residence permit. Dijkgraaf thinks it is fair if the standard is the same for everyone.
And the study dropout rate among senior students? There is no consensus on that, the minister believes. According to the university association UNL, senior students with a deferred BSA earned 10 percent fewer credits during the corona pandemic than students who had met the BSA standard. But studies by Fontys and Zuyd University give the opposite picture.
In short, the study dropout rate after the first year is difficult to predict. For Dijkgraaf, a “healthy balance between well-being and study progress” remains the main argument for lowering the BSA norm.
Orientation
GreenLeft still sees opportunities to improve the proposal and argues that it lacks the “orientation function of the BSA.” If a student fails his first year, where should he go? Institutions would be of little help here.
Indeed, according to Dijkgraaf, there should be more standards for such a “BSA conversation.” He wants to discuss what that should look like with institutions in the near future.
Monitoring
GroenLinks and D66 are in favor of the new proposal since they believe it will reduce study pressure and promote student welfare. In addition, students with a migration background, foreign students, and students with disabilities are currently hit extra hard by a high BSA, according to a study by Radboud University. GroenLinks and D66 ask the minister if this was taken into account.
It was, he answers. Dijkgraaf finds it “of great importance” that everyone is able to study “regardless of personal background or any functional limitations.” Students who now suffer from excessive performance pressure or have mental health issues could certainly benefit from a lower BSA standard, he believes. Once the law is in place, he wants to monitor whether this actually happens.
