‘Open up vocational and higher education’
The lockdown in higher and vocational education (mbo) must disappear as soon as possible. That is the ‘urgent appeal’ of student organisations, educational institutions, psychiatrists and young people. The organisations have written a letter (in Dutch) to the experts of the Dutch Outbreak Management Team (OMT), with a cc to the new ministers of Education and Health. On 12 January, the OMT will advise on the extended lockdown and on Friday the cabinet will make a new assessment.
Psychological problems
Because of the lockdown, many students have all kinds of psychological problems, such as loneliness, gloominess and lack of sleep, the authors write, referring to recent research (which, incidentally, was also criticised). “All of this argues for a sustainable solution despite the harshness of the contagion.”
The brand-new Minister of Education, Robbert Dijkgraaf, has already let it be known (in Dutch) that opening up education is “high on the priority list”. Education must prepare itself for a future with the virus, he thinks. The pandemic is not over yet. It remains to be seen how this will happen, but this week the OMT pleads for more widespread use of mouth masks, also in education. Students should not only wear the mouth caps in the corridor, but also in class. (HOP, Bas Belleman)
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