2023-05-16 07:57:21
A growing number of students who take on a student job to feed themselves at the expense of study time explains the poor success rate in the January exams, says Emila Hoxhaj, president of the Federation of French-speaking students on Matin Première. Less than one in two exams were passed in higher education in the January session (47%), this is less than before the health crisis (51% in 2020), according to figures from La Libre Belgique. The annual budget of 1.8 billion refinanced by 80 million euros each year and the 100 million euros in aid for success decided by the Minister of Higher Education in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Valérie Glatigny (MR) , are not enough in his eyes.
“The failure rate is appallingnotes Emila Hoxhaj, president of the FEF. But you have to wonder why the students miss so much: the students are overcrowded, there is a lack of seats, it is raining in some auditoriums. In our view, higher education is underfunded.“Minister Valérie Glatigny has nevertheless decided to release an envelope of 100 million euros for aid for success, an amount which now reaches 105 million euros with indexation.Yes, but this envelope is closed. The number of students has increased by 40% in 20 years, but funding per student has been reduced by 15%. Are we really investing in young people?“
For the president of the FEF, the major problem is student insecurity. “We receive testimonials from students who have to steal from stores to eat something. It is measures against these situations that are expected. We shouldn’t have to work and study at the same time. It decreases our chances of success, it decreases our ability to concentrate.“
To help students directly in this regard, the FEF recently called for meals at €2 for all students. “One in two students struggles to eat properly. Some live on €100 a month. And indeed, we asked for dishes at 2€. This was done at the ULB from the start of the crisis and we can see that it was not superfluous. The queue is very long every day. Students need it. We asked the Minister for a generalization and so far it has been radio silence.”
Shouldn’t we rather target the most precarious students rather than offering it to everyone? “But this problem concerns one in two students, how do you target when it concerns so many people? We are already unable to target correctly in the reform of study allowances, we have been waiting for this reform for two years, an ambitious reform and it is not happening. A year of study costs between €8,000 and €12,000 per year, but the scholarship is €1,300 per year on average, it only covers two rents in Brussels, it is clearly insufficient and in addition we receive it at the end of the year. ‘year. Personally, I still haven’t received my scholarship for this school year.“
20% of students receive a scholarship which can range from €400 per year to €5,000 indexed, in addition to free school fees.
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