Government to cancel key elements of study progress reform

The Danish government wants to soften up the controversial Study Progress Reform, the so-called ‘fremdriftsreform’. Among the most notable changes is the removal of the obligatory credit system. Should the proposal go through, credits will only be transferred when academically relevant.

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In the proposal’s press release the Minister of Education, Esben Lunde Larsen states that the reform simply “doesn’t work very well”.

“The reform has been a bureaucratic straightjacket for universities and students both. The government will change this,” he says.

Freedom for universities and students

Prorector for Education Lykke Friis from the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) is happy about the change. “The proposal is a step in the right direction. We are happy to have the straitjacket [of government, ed.] loosened up, and the new proposal should lead to more flexibility,” she says to Danish-language news site Uniavisen.dk.

According to the government it will no longer be obligatory for students to be signed up for modules worth a total of 60 ECTS points per year. This will mean that universities once more establish their own rules regarding signing up for modules and exams, and students won’t automatically be signed up for something that they don’t wish to do.

The proposal includes six focus points that are to give freedom and responsibility back to the universities and students. All of them can be read in the fact box on the right.

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Danish Study Progress Reform: 10 biggest issues

Proposal retains central aim

The overall aim of the Study Progress Reform still stands: “The intention – that students are to be active during their studies – remains. For their and society’s sake.” says Minister of Education and Research Esben Lunde Larsen.

Students are still to complete their degrees faster than previously – 4.3 months by 2020. And the proposal leaves in place several economic deterrents on universities that fail to meet this criteria.

The new government proposal can be found (in Danish) here: ‘Frihed og ansvar for studiefremdrift’

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

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