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University colleges want to raise the bar for first-years

09:14 04/03/2015

Dutch-speaking university colleges want to oblige first-year students to achieve a minimum of 60% of the total study points rather than the 50% now required. The Flemish University Colleges’ Council (Vlhora) hopes that raising the bar will lead to a change in mentality among first-years that encourages them to work harder from the start of their studies.

Student who don’t achieve 60% could, for example, receive study guidance or even be refused the right to register for the same discipline. Currently, four out of 10 first-year students in Flanders’ higher education institutions, including universities, do not achieve 60% of study points, according to figures provided by education minister Hilde Crevits. Taking colleges alone, the percentage is even higher.

To help prepare students for the more stringent requirement, Vlhora said it would expand study help programmes for first-years. This guidance is sometimes necessary to make a successful transition from secondary education. Vlhora said it hoped for help from the government to increase these options.

This news follows Crevits’ announcement that universities and colleges in the future will be able to consult students’ results in a central data bank.

Written by Andy Furniere

Comments

acsonline

And about time too! If people can barely keep up at school, how do they expect to keep up at university? Not surprising there is so much of that "doing your first year all over again" going on.

Mar 4, 2015 14:24