Dutch students protest against what they consider as pointless classes - by Perro de Jong
Demonstrations by students who complain that they spend too much time in the classroom sounds a bit ludicrous. However, last week a union which represents high school students (LAKS) eloquently pointed out that what is truly ludicrous is a recent government recommendation to enforce a law which requires students to spend 1,040 hours at school. For one, there is a severe shortage of both qualified and unqualified teachers, so students often find themselves sitting in classrooms where they have nothing to do. Unless one argues that blindly following rules which make no sense at all is the most valuable educational lesson for a future career in public service.
But the Netherlands is not France. Compared to the lot of young people in the Paris suburbs, there is actually little to complain about - no harrowing poverty or lack of prospects. And the fun of rioting without a cause appeals to some students. There will always be people who riot because it's exciting, and looks tough on websites such as YouTube and Hyves. It remains to be seen whether things will calm down, or whether the violence will escalate further.Note EU-Digest: Students should always be able to protest, but violence and destruction must not be accepted and should be stopped with all the means available to the riot police in the Netherlands. Parents of children who have joined these protests should also make sure that they warn their children that they will be punished, not only by government authorities, but also by them if they get involved in violence.
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