10 December 2024

Hundreds of students and staff from Leiden University gave a ‘whistle concert’ on 11 December against the planned cuts to higher education. Read the news article here.

On Wednesday 11 December students and staff from Leiden University are protesting once again against the higher education cuts, this time in a walkout. We the Executive Board and deans support this protest and call upon our students and staff to let their voices be heard. Annetje Ottow will be among those joining the walkout.

We find both the scale of the plans and the uncertainty they bring to the education sector unwise and downright irresponsible. The quality of our research and teaching is at stake. A high turnout on 11 December will underscore our support for this message.

The protest is being organised by WOinActie and will take place in Leiden on Wednesday 11 December at 13.00 hours. Participants will gather at Cleveringaplaats and in front of the Pieter de la Court building. The organisers are calling on people to bring a whistle to blow the whistle on the government.

Protests will also be held in other cities. For more information see the WOinActie website. A separate protest is not currently planned in The Hague. If that changes, this message will be updated.

Teaching on Wednesday afternoon

To prevent additional work and study pressure, we have decided not to declare a lecture-free afternoon for the whole university. However, we do want to give students and teaching staff the opportunity to join the walkout on Wednesday afternoon. If you have classes on Wednesday afternoon, please see what your lecturer says in Brightspace. If they have decided to join the walkout and have cancelled your classes, they will inform you of this.

If your classes will go ahead as usual, it is up to you to decide whether to join the walkout. Attendance is not compulsory for students on 11 December, with the exception of compulsory practicals and exams that cannot be retaken/postponed. It is your responsibility to catch up on what you have missed.

Faculty of Medicine students can decide for themselves whether they want to attend classes or join the walkout. It is your responsibility to catch up on what you have missed. For compulsory classes, this can result in having to catch up next academic year.

Sign the petition

Alongside making your voice heard during the walkout, you can also sign the petition that is part of the campaign against the cuts.

This announcement will be updated if more information is received about the walkout.

Executive Board and deans