Education Minister Ronald Plasterk's plan for an overhaul of the higher education system has met with a lukewarm response in the Lower House. Speaking at the opening of the academic year at Enschede University, the minister said that he has commissioned a comparative inquiry into the Dutch system and higher education in other countries.

Mr Plasterk wants to expand the current two-branch system of universities and professional training colleges. He favours the US system with its greater range of programmes.

MPs critical
Most political parties are critical, with the exception of Mr Plasterk's own Labour Party. The Socialist Party said it considers the distinction between an academic education and professional training to be valuable, and said it should not be thrown overboard. The conservative VVD thinks that Mr Plasterk is messing things up and should leave the system as it is. The governing Christian Democrats expressed surprise at the minister's announcement of research into a restructuring of higher education while he already has a clear idea of the outcome.

Universities are coping with extremely high numbers of students, as many school leavers opt for further education rather than searching for a job in the crisis-ridden labour market. The association of the Netherlands' universities, VSNU, said on Monday expects many universities will experience financial and organisational problems as a result of the increased influx.

'No elite universities'
National student union LSvb chair Gerard Oosterwijk said that investments in the current system are inevitable. "And in the long run, a new system is fine, as long as student options are not reduced. We do not want elite universities that only accept excellent students and turn down students who finished their secondary education with good grades."