MPs back motion to stop recruitment of students abroad

Members of parliament in the Netherlands have voted in favour of a motion calling on the government to stop universities and HBO (applied sciences) colleges from actively recruiting students abroad, reports DutchNews.nl.

They say the surge in student numbers, fuelled by a rise in international students, is increasing pressure on student housing capacity and leading to overfull lecture theatres. MPs hope that a ban on advertising and attending recruitment fairs abroad will depress the flow.

This year, some 40% of first-year students – 42,000 in total – came from abroad, although most are from the European Union. Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf has pledged to publish his plans early next year, but MPs say this will be too late to stop universities attending fairs and placing adverts to attract new students in the coming academic year.
Full report on the Dutch News.nl site