Promoting the continuity of curricula in non university higher education institutions (hautes écoles).
Belgium (FR) , 2006 to Unknown
Compendium: Higher Education
Background
This policy means that the students are no longer stopped in their curricula when they do not pass all the exams of the year in which they are enrolled. They can go ahead on their way to graduation.
There are three principles within this scheme:
- the students do not have to take all of their exams during the first session anymore ; they can have access to September session even with some exams not taken in June session ; it was not the case before: if a student did not take one exam in June (s)he could not go on with his (her) present academic year and therefore had to start it again next year;
- when the students get a certain amount of credits (a academic year includes 60 credits, divided into the different courses), at least 48, they can succeed their academic year and have access to the following year with the obligation to take the failed exams with the exams of their new year ; it is called "the 48 credits success";
- when students failed their academic year, they have to start it again with potentially some exemptions, and they are authorized to do some courses of the following year.
It is an example of a "light" measure, which illustrates the will of the French Community to promote access to and success in higher education. This practice is the adaptation of principles already observed within the universities in another higher education area (hautes écoles).
Background:
- Décret fixant l'organisation générale de l'enseignement supérieur en Hautes Ecoles (http://www.cdadoc.cfwb.be/cdadocrep/html/1995/19950805s19109.htm)
- arrêté du Gouvernement de la Communauté française fixant l'organisation de l'année académique et les conditions de refus d'une inscription et portant règlement général des examens dans les Hautes Ecoles organisées ou subventionnées par la Communauté française (http://www.cdadoc.cfwb.be/RechDoc/docForm.asp?docid=843&docname=19960702s19793).
Aims and targets
This system aims to let students continue their progression to graduation even if they failed the exams. The system also reduces the cost of education for regional funding authorities.Strategy and actions
It is a legislative approach : the French Community changed the content of the legal texts existing in order to include these new principles (decree, government order).
After the changes of the legal texts, the Minister of Education decided to adapt an interpretation circular of legal texts. Therefore, it organized several meetings between its representatives and higher education institution representatives in order to clarify the interpretation of these new principles and to write down this latter in the circular. The final goal of these meetings was to obtain a consensus so that the new principles were optimally applied within all the concerned institutions.
Monitoring and evaluation
No specific measures were taken in addition to the existing ones designed to guarantee the relevance between the French Community legislative framework and its policies.Funding/Cost effectiveness
Sustainability/Transferability
Outcomes/impacts
Achievements
Success factors
Given the fact that the application of these principles relies finally on the students' choices it is up to them to be responsible for themselves in their curricula.Unintended impacts
With the possibility of not taking exams in the June session, students can decide at the last minute not to come. They do not have to advise their institution in advance. Therefore, for the institution it can lead to some organizational problems (what size of rooms to prepare, the schedule for oral exams, etc.).Strengths and weaknesses
Curricular reform
- Access and progression
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