On Monday, July 7, minister Letschert of Education, Culture and Science sent a letter to the House of Representatives about the future of mbo funding. It contains good news for parents and students: from 2029, learning materials for minor mbo students will be free of charge. This concerns textbooks, digital licenses, and work and safety clothing. The cabinet will make 80 million euros per year structurally available for this from 2029, on top of the money that was already provided for free books and licenses for basic skills.<\/p>\n
Ouders & Onderwijs has been asking for this for a long time. Minor mbo students often had to pay for their learning materials themselves until now, while peers in havo and vwo receive reimbursement. That is unfair: it concerns young people of the same age, who are also still subject to qualification duty and are not entitled to student finance. This measure removes that difference.<\/p>\n
School costs form a significant barrier for many families. Recent figures show that one in five mbo students has trouble making ends meet and that a quarter experience debts or payment arrears. Students and parents are therefore not always able to purchase the study materials they actually need. This hinders their participation in education and increases the risk of dropout. The Education Council had already advised to equalize school costs for minor mbo students with those of pupils in secondary education.<\/p>\n
The measure builds on an earlier step: at the end of 2022, the House of Representatives decided, on the initiative of Kiki Hagen (D66), to make learning materials for basic skills\u2014Dutch language, mathematics, and citizenship\u2014free for mbo students under eighteen. That temporary measure was a good initiative but remained limited: it was a contribution for some subjects. Now all mandatory learning materials will be free, structurally and embedded in the law. With this, the minister takes the logical second step.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"call_to_action","selecteer_call_to_action":"gerelateerde_onderwerpen_lijst","berichten_met_prioriteit":false,"download_pdf":false,"veelgestelde_vragen_verwijzing":{"titel":"","knop_tekst":"","url":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"meer_informatie_links","linkjes":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"extra_inhoud_blok","inhoud":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"quote","quote_tekst":"Textbooks and work clothing are not a luxury but a necessity to participate at school."}],"call_to_action":"nieuwsbrief","call_to_action_2":"geen","zoekwoorden":""},"yoast_head":"\n