
1 month · 2 summary articles
Dutch ministry must decide on school funding after inspectorate finds serious teaching failures
Dutch schools cancel trips after voluntary parental contributions backfire
The Dutch education inspectorate has referred Amsterdam’s Cornelius Haga Lyceum (CHL) to the Dutch Ministry of Education after finding that its board “has long and seriously failed” to improve teaching quality, pushing the school to the most urgent phase of intervention. In a Thursday letter to parliament, state secretary Judith Tielen (VVD) wrote that the ministry must now decide on next steps, which could include withdrawing state funding. The inspectorate’s report, published on 9 July 2026, found that the board neglected to act despite warnings as early as 2022, failed to provide key documents, and supplied contradictory information. The CHL’s board disputes the findings, asserting there has been no mismanagement .
The controversy at CHL dates back to 2019, when the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) warned of alleged salafist influences and past ties to extremists. A subsequent investigation by the education inspectorate found no evidence of anti-democratic teaching, but did uncover financial mismanagement. In December 2019, a court struck down the inspectorate’s conclusions after an NRC investigation showed it had overstepped its authority, and intelligence warnings were deemed overly broad by the intelligence oversight body .
Meanwhile, in Portugal, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has acknowledged “very significant” challenges in the national exam system, telling SIC Notícias on Thursday that the government is working to restore normalcy within existing deadlines. Montenegro, speaking at the NOS Alive festival, said 73% of exams have already been graded and that the administration is committed to publishing results on schedule despite a complex digital transition. Earlier on Thursday, Presidency Minister Leitão Amaro confirmed the 73% figure and reiterated the government’s full commitment to meeting deadlines .
The exam crisis has sparked sharp criticism. In an opinion piece for Público, Sofia Pereira argues that the government’s July improvisations have turned education into a “testing ground,” undermining confidence in a long-overdue modernization effort . Rui Ribeiro, also writing in Público, contends that repeated assurances followed by last-minute corrections have eroded trust and left schools caught between government rhetoric and classroom reality .
In Romania, the University of Oradea’s Daniela Maci, a social work lecturer, has defended the inclusion of Viorel Pașca’s Dumbrava centre in international exchanges with Dutch students, calling it a “model of good practice.” In an interview with HotNews, Maci noted that Oradea’s multiconfessional and multiethnic context, combined with strong evangelical activism, creates a unique social-assistance environment that Dutch observers—from a similarly Calvinist tradition—found instructive. She acknowledged, however, that the centre’s current legal troubles, including allegations of exploiting vulnerable individuals, highlight a broader gap in Romania between grassroots workers and policymakers .
Across Europe, universities are also adjusting to shifting admissions policies. In Italy, Education Minister Anna Maria Bernini has proposed abolishing the national habilitation exam for academic recruitment, shifting greater responsibility to individual universities while maintaining commission oversight. The reform, discussed without prejudice, reflects Bernini’s dual perspective as both a politician and a professor at the University of Bologna .
In the United States, the Department of Justice has confirmed that a Jersey City college-prep school will end diversity, equity, and inclusion-based admissions practices following a federal review .
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