The KNAW wants to protect education in the Frisian language and culture
To keep the Frisian language alive, it must also be studied and taught at university, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) believes. Therefore, the government should fund a bachelor’s program and a chair of Frisian language and culture.
While it was once possible to study Frisian at five universities, there is now no longer a single independent program in Frisian at Dutch universities. Only the University of Groningen continues to offer Frisian language and culture within certain degree programs.
“Frisian is under pressure,” KNAW president Marileen van Dogterom observes in a recent recommendation to the national government, the province of Friesland, and higher education. This is despite the fact that Frisian is an official language in the Netherlands.
A separate budget
The Academy therefore advises the government to start a new, independent training program, possibly at the University of Groningen, and finance it separately, since the current funding system is “unfavorable” for small programs. Programs are largely funded based on student numbers.
There are also research gaps, despite the efforts of NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences and the Fryske Akademie. The study of Frisian literature and poetry in particular receives too little attention. The KNAW therefore also wants to establish a special Council for Frisian Studies to keep track of Frisian educational and research activities and promote cooperation.
Sounding the alarm
KNAW’s advice comes after an appeal by the full House of Representatives in 2022 to support education in Frisian. In 2020, several professors of Frisian sounded the alarm about the precarious status of the language. They, too, argued for an independent university education.
The outgoing cabinet is unlikely to make another decision on this, but the House of Representatives could also take matters into its own hands. On Tuesday, the House will discuss the education budget.
