Currently organized in mid-September, the return to higher education in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation should in future take place from the end of August, said Monday the Minister in charge of Higher Education, Valérie Glatigny (MR), in front of Parliament.
Gathered for several months within a working group responsible for reflecting on new annual rhythms, the various players in higher education have reached a consensus on a series of general guidelines for this new academic calendar, explained Ms Glatigny, in response to several questions from MEPs in committee.
In addition to an early return to the end of August, this working group – which includes representatives of universities, colleges of higher education, arts colleges, unions, students and players in the sports and youth sectors – also fell agree to harmonize the winter holidays with those of compulsory education.
The new academic calendar also aims to offer real periods of rest to teachers and students, the winter and spring holidays being currently devoted to the blockade. According to the minister, the education players have also agreed to keep the volumes of learning unchanged, as well as that of leave for teachers.
Finally, they intend to organize a real summer break between two academic years. If a consensus has already been reached on this general framework, the details of the future academic calendar must still be finalized in the months to come. In front of the deputies, Mrs Glatigny underlined the importance, in her view, that this reform be fully concerted with all the players in the sector, that it lead to an improvement in learning for students, and that it allow better ventilation in the future between moments of learning, moments of evaluation and times of rest.
