Education minister backs down over student sports subsidy ban

Education minister Eppo Bruins has backed down from his plan to stop universities and colleges from subsidising sports facilities for students.

Bruins told MPs on Wednesday that he is willing to turn a blind eye if educational institutions continue to support student gyms and sports clubs financially. “Sport has to remain cheap,” he said during a debate on students’ mental health. “Like parliament, I don’t think sport should be too expensive.”

Under current legislation, universities and colleges are not permitted to subsidise “private” activities, which includes sports. There have also been concerns that this practice could amount to unfair competition with commercial sports clubs and gyms.

Student organisations and universities had urged Bruins to reconsider. Although the rules on subsidies have been in place for years, they have not been enforced by successive ministers.

Bruins said he would first like universities and colleges to assess how much money they are spending on sport, and added that no action would be taken until that information is available.