Too few students graduating in four years, say experts

In 2005, Flanders’ higher education system was reformed to the bachelor’s and master’s system that rely on study credits rather than years. “The purpose was to allow students to work at their own pace, as the previous system was indeed too rigid,” explained education expert Martin Valcke of Ghent University. “But now we have too many ‘eternal students’, in a system completely financed by the government.”

Apart from the costs, the trend is also troubling higher education institutions – university colleges in particular. “All the students’ individual paths are very hard to organise,” said Machteld Verbruggen, general director of Thomas More. “We cannot maintain the efforts we have been undertaking, being also structurally underfunded.”

Universities and colleges implemented a system that requires students to earn a certain number of credits per year in order to continue in the same studies. But education said that more action is needed.

Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits responded, saying that another reform is not necessary. She pointed to the recent introduction of the orientation test in secondary education and the entrance exam for teaching studies at colleges.