Shorter summer holidays in higher education suggested
A working group of student representatives and university administrators have submitted a proposal for the reform of higher education, which would include earlier re-sits and shorter summer holidays
Proposal is a means to “start a debate”
The note proposes re-sits just after the two weeks of Christmas holidays that follow the three weeks of exams in the first semester. In the current system, re-sits only take place in August. This change should help students since the subject matter will still be fresh in their minds, the working group argues.
If students don’t pass the exams the second time around, they can possibly transfer to another study area or school and lose less time in their education trajectory. A second re-sit would be possible in July.
Limiting the summer holidays might, however, raise objections among students “But we guarantee that the students could work at least four weeks and also enjoy the holidays during the summer,” VVS chair Bram Roelant told De Morgen. Alain Verschoren, rector of Antwerp University, pointed to possible difficulties for academics. “They will no longer have much time to visit congresses and present their papers during the summer,” he said.
The students and universities explained that the reform is not a goal in itself but a means to start a debate. “Another structuring of the academic year is a way to introduce more student-oriented learning and other forms of learning,” said Roelant. “We should, for example, consider more evaluations throughout the year.”
