Education at Dutch universities is good, say the fifty members of De Jonge Akademie, a society of relatively young scientists affiliated with the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). Still, things could be better, as they write in a pamphlet with recommendations which they publish today. “We plead for more Bildung in academic studies, even if this should be partly at the expense of education in professional knowledge and skills.”

TU/e Rector Frank Baaijens thinks that a large part of what De Jonge Akademie is advocating in this field is already being offered at his university in the USE learning trajectories of the Bachelor College. "What it then does come down to is the right timing: when do you offer it in their studies and in what form do you need to do this", says Baaijens.

Values

Whatever they study, all students should be taught ethics, philosophy of science and political philosophy, says the pamphlet. Every study program should devote attention to “values, responsibilities and skills that turn those students into academic citizens”.

It should also be possible to carve out an academic career “by focusing on and excelling in education”, according to De Jonge Akademie. At present this is not possible or scarcely so. “Name, fame and career are made with scientific breakthroughs and not with excellent education.”

Some attention, admittedly, is given to good teachers thanks to elections of the teacher of the year, De Jonge Akademie acknowledges. There are also special professors of education and since recently good teachers have been granted the option of applying for funds for educational renewal in the NWO Comenius program.

Intertwining

However, so far it has been of no use. At any rate there should be more teachers in scientific education, particularly teachers specializing in education. While De Jonge Akademie wants to preserve the intertwining of education and research, one could easily appoint teachers who conduct a little less research.

Should De Jonge Akademie not accept the blame? Its members are often professors already and owe their ‘name and fame’ to their research themselves as well. Could an excellent teacher become a member? “That is a question of conscience”, says philosopher Jeroen de Ridder, one of the authors of the pamphlet. “Although the achievements in the area of education do feature among the criteria for membership, breakthroughs in scientific research have a greater impact after all. Among our membership, too, research gets you further than education. We could indeed look into our own selection criteria.”

KNAW, for that matter, is ‘hostess’ of the Comenius network for laureates of the Comenius grants and the winners of the national election of teacher of the year.