Parties argue over workings of university lottery system

Coalition parties People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), and ChristenUnie want to give universities and universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands the option to exclude prospective students who score poorly in a selection procedure from the course lottery. Their coalition partner Democrats 66 is vehemently opposed to this idea and is supported by Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf and the left-wing opposition Labour Party, Socialist Party, and GroenLinks, reports NL Times.

The cabinet wants to make it possible for higher education institutions to select students based on a lottery. Dijkgraaf thinks that it will make the selection process fairer. He concluded from studies that certain groups have less chance if universities select students based on, for example, grades, a letter of motivation, and a test. Ethnically diverse students, students with less prosperous parents, students with disabilities, and late bloomers are among those affected. However, his proposal would allow universities to combine a selection procedure with a lottery.

Zohair El Yassini of the VVD is not enthusiastic about this proposal. “As far as I’m concerned, drawing lots is not conducive to equality of opportunity because it makes it unprofitable to invest time and energy in choice of study and skills.” That is why he proposed in December, together with the CDA, to also make it possible to exclude students from the lottery. The ChristenUnie now also supports this proposal.
Full report on the NL Times site