Dennis Wiersma (VVD) and Robbert Dijkgraaf (D66) proposed new education ministers.

Dennis Wiersma (VVD) and Robbert Dijkgraaf (D66) proposed new education ministers.

The new members of the cabinet Rutte IV have been announced. Dennis Wiersma from the VVD becomes the new minister for primary and secondary education. Robbert Dijkgraaf becomes the new minister of education, culture and science for D66 and also has the mbo as his portfolio. This was announced by the Government Information Service on January 2. Ouders & Onderwijs congratulates the new ministers. We look forward to a good cooperation!

Minister for Primary and Secondary Education

Dennis Wiersma (35) becomes the successor of Arie Slob on the files primary and secondary education. He is currently still state secretary of social affairs and employment, and before that he was a member of the VVD faction in the House of Representatives. In the House of Representatives, he was spokesperson for higher education among others. Wiersma was previously a board member of the student union LSVb and is a so-called ‘stepper’, which means he started at the vmbo and stacked diplomas up to university. There are many plans for primary and secondary education in the coalition agreement (we wrote this message earlier about it). For example, there will be a reporting point for social safety for parents and the new coalition wants to strive for inclusive education. Wiersma can work on those plans in the coming years. Besides that, Wiersma is also a father. He has two children.

Dennis Wiersma (Image: Rijksoverheid.nl/Martijn Beekman)

Minister of Education, Culture and Science

Robbert Dijkgraaf (61) is currently still professor of mathematical physics at the University of Amsterdam and director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (US). He becomes the successor of Ingrid van Engelshoven and is thus also responsible for the mbo. Dijkgraaf was previously president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and is especially known for appearances in the former television program DWDD. For the mbo the coalition agreement includes plans to tackle internship discrimination and encourage flow. Ouders & Onderwijs will ask the new minister to pay more attention to the mbo, since Ouders & Onderwijs recently started also focusing on mbo. Robbert Dijkgraaf is himself father of three children.

Robbert Dijkgraaf (Image: Gabi Porter)

Coalition Agreement

On December 15, the VVD, D66, the CDA and the ChristenUnie presented their coalition agreement. This week the proposed ministers and state secretaries will visit the formateur Rutte. On January 10, the new cabinet will be sworn in by the king. These ministers must carry out the new education plans of the coalition. We wrote this news message about those plans earlier.