Opposition: ‘Windesheim does not keep its promises’
- Teaching location for part-time and dual studies has not been realised.
- Rien Komen: “New plans for a logistics study.”
Lelystad, in collaboration with Almere, Windesheim and the ministry, invested several millions in an improvement of the courses in Flevoland. Lelystad’s intention was to realise a teaching location of Windesheim Flevoland in the city. However, Windesheim does not honour the existing commitments sufficiently according to the political party. That is why opposition party Leefbaar Lelystad wants to see the money back. After that, Windesheim is still allowed to conjure a plan. The Lelystad Municipal Executive Board’s opinion on the matter is still unknown. A spokesperson for the municipality lets us know: “The issue is already being addressed by the town council in several sessions and is therefore momentarily in the hands of elected representatives.”
Rien Komen, director of Windesheim Flevoland, can sympathise with Leefbaar Lelystad’s impatience. “When the first meetings were being held it was meant for Lelystad to be a teaching location for part-time and dual studies. From the beginning there was a lot of effort, time and money being invested to get this rolling. Due to of a variety of reasons this has never been successfully realised, mostly because of insufficient enrolments and not being able to obtain licenses. As early as 2012 we have faced this. In collaboration with the municipality of Lelystad, agreements and expectations have been revised. However, the expectations and the feeling have not been adjusted.”
Windesheim is momentarily working on improving the quality of the educational chain and the continuing to the university of applied sciences, in cooperation with secondary education and intermediate vocational education.
Komen: “Together we are going to investigate if a logistics/economics studies linked to the airport is an interesting option. The reason to deviate from the ‘Almere-model’ has to do with Lelystad’s appeal as a logistical hub for the likes of air or sea traffic.”
Will that be sufficient to keep tempers? “The feelings and emotions have run high for several parties – at which people perhaps are fixated on the teaching location principle. What really matters is that we will keep on collaborating with educational institutions and the industry in Lelystad, so that we can keep the talents connected to the city. If people can overcome this hurdle and appreciate our good results, everything will be alright. Then, in ten years time, people can say that a solid university of applied sciences has been developed in collaboration with Lelystad in Flevoland.” (MH)
