English should only be used in Dutch university and college lecture theatres if it is necessary, junior education minister Halbe Zijlstra said in parliament on Thursday.

During a debate on the education ministry’s budget for next year, Zijlstra was asked by Christian Democrat MP Jack Biskop what he thought about the shift towards English.
Many lecturers are not up to the job but English is growing in popularity because it is ‘chic’ and because of globalisation, Biskop is quoted as saying by the Telegraaf.
Zijlstra told MPs ‘if the subject requires teaching in English, it is logical to do so.’ However, if English is not necessary it is not beneficial to ‘pour an English sauce’ over a lesson, he said.
Master’s degrees
Three years ago, magazine HP/De Tijd reported that the English language skills of lecturers and students at Dutch universities are often not up to standard. In 2008, up to 70% of master’s degrees were taught in English.
Since then, several universities have taken steps to improve the level of English spoken by professors.
It is up to individual universities to monitor the quality of English-language education and no formal action can be taken against lecturers who do not make the grade.