How Rebel is preparing education for the future

Sustainability, digitisation, social accountability: schools’ to-do lists keep growing, while budgets continue to shrink. Rebel Henk Slagt helps educational institutions navigate the major challenges of our time.

Education faces significant challenges. Schools must operate more efficiently with fewer resources while also tackling digitisation and sustainability. The sector plays a vital social role but often struggles to connect with society due to differences in language and a lack of external engagement. Meanwhile, the government is planning budget cuts in education.

Henk Slagt, from the Rebel Strategy & Finance team, helps educational institutions address these challenges by providing insight into the financial impact of policies. Slagt explains: ‘We see an administrative dilemma where budgets are shrinking while challenges are increasing. Schools need to manage their finances carefully.’ Rebel advises educational institutions on budgeting and long-term financial planning, improving operational efficiency, securing funding for new facilities, and collaborating with businesses to drive educational innovation. ‘To strengthen the financial foundation of schools, professionalise back-office operations, and ensure long-term educational quality, leadership is key. Additionally, dashboarding is an effective management tool that Rebel can support with,’ says Slagt.

For example, Rebel assessed the financial feasibility of a large campus project for a University of Applied Sciences and, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, examined how the primary and secondary education sectors can renovate their infrastructure in the coming years. ‘Fifty percent of school buildings suffer from overdue maintenance—sometimes for as long as 20 years. Municipalities often lack the funds to address maintenance among their many priorities, let alone prepare school buildings for a CO2-neutral future and create a healthy, sustainable learning environment for students.’

Education administrators are eager to contribute to climate goals but often don’t know where to start, notes Slagt, who transitioned from the corporate world to school administration and now also teaches. ‘This is a complex yet important issue, with responsibilities shared between the national government, municipalities, and school boards.’ Although reporting on CO2 emissions is not yet mandatory for the education sector, it soon will be. At the same time, schools already have enough on their plates and struggle with whether to proactively prepare for such regulations. Slagt observes: ‘Administrators sign green deals where form often takes precedence over substance and are searching for ways to add real meaning to these commitments. Rebel has a strong track record in public sector sustainability and can provide valuable guidance to schools in this transition.’

For educational organisations, Rebel maps out the costs and social benefits of various sustainability projects. ‘This helps administrators make well-informed choices based on solid business cases rather than resorting to ad hoc measures—like planting a few trees in a parking lot or installing a handful of solar panels.’

Since schools are publicly funded, they will need to account for their costs and revenues more transparently—especially with impending budget cuts. Measuring social impact will therefore become increasingly important. ‘Education must be deeply integrated into society, fostering social equity, inclusion, and lifelong learning. A stronger connection with the business sector is essential.’

Despite labour market shortages, higher education and vocational training institutions (MBO) still struggle to align with the business world, Slagt notes. ‘Upcoming budget cuts make co-creation and a stronger focus on lifelong learning even more crucial.’ Rebel facilitates discussions between education and business sectors to better align curricula with industry needs and create effective work-study pathways. ‘The business community wants to know: “What’s in it for us?” You have to speak their language.’

Higher education should not be confined to classrooms and laboratories—it must also engage with the wider world. Slagt asks: ‘What does society need, and how can we translate that from the outside in?’

This engagement should extend beyond national borders. Rebel assists schools in developing internationalisation strategies by securing funding for global education initiatives. Currently, Slagt is helping Erasmus University establish partnerships in Suriname, South Africa, and Indonesia with local universities and businesses. ‘The key question is: how do we shape students into true global citizens?’