Scholen werden hogescholen. De schaalvergroting in het hoger beroepsonderwijs in de jaren tachtig van de vorige eeuw

PhD ceremony: Mr. W.S. Vrijlandt, 11.00 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Thesis: Scholen werden hogescholen. De schaalvergroting in het hoger beroepsonderwijs in de jaren tachtig van de vorige eeuw

Promotor(s): prof. D.F.J. Bosscher, prof.dr. R.J. Bosker, prof.dr. G.J.E.M. Sanders

Faculty: Arts

In 1983 the ministers of Education and Agriculture in the Netherlandsaimed to reduce the number of higher educational institutions bycreating larger and powerful institutions which could as universities of applied sciences (UoAS), together with the research universities meet the fast increasing demand of higher education. Different sources mention different figures. A sound indication would be that in 1985 nearly 350institutions of higher education had been turned into 50 UoAS. To keep the agricultural as a whole, 11 schools were converted into 5 UoAS. The complexity of the merge operation and the shortage of the relevant financial meant aims like the allocation of tasks between the institutions and the geographic concentration of the university buildings could not be realized. Specialists regretted that the ministers felt obliged to execute the merge operation under high pressure. Most of the schools felt menaced in their subsistence which led to much misused energy tot maintain the existing situation as much as possible. If it had been possible to use more time for the operation this energy should have been available for the construction and development of the UoAS. Special attention is given to the problems of complex merger operations of larger number of schools with different cultures into one institute. It is conceivable that the resulting binary system, with universities of different types, will disappear in the future. This requires decisive action because it is important for prospective students from lower grade secondary schools. It is up to the politicians to decide this matter.