An exceptional transitional phase to respond to emergency situations

Press Release of the Rectors' Council of 9 April 2024 on the reform of the "Paysage" decree

The electoral debate has put the question of the reform of the 2022 « Paysage" decree back on the agenda. Several texts will shortly be debated in the Parliament of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The 'Conseil des Rectrices et Reteurs (CRef)' considers that the form taken by this debate confirms the absence of the hindsight and reliable figures that would be necessary for an informed discussion on the effects of this reform. At this stage, the universities are not in a position to assess the real impact of the reform. They are asking for the time needed to take into account the results of the 2023-2024 academic year.

The universities are well aware of the psychological distress experienced by some students post-Covid and of their increasingly precarious situation, and they will continue to put in place support measures at their level, while calling for an increase in funding for university education.

Most of the specific difficulties faced by certain students are linked to the changeover from the initial "Paysage" scheme to a "Paysage reformed" scheme, or to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on student orientation and learning.

The CRef believes that the solution to these difficulties does not lie in calling the reform into question two months before the exam session, nor in a generalised moratorium. To respond to these urgent situations, CRef believes that the solution to these difficulties lies in the implementation of a transition phase for certain cohorts, a specific investigation of particular situations, and a relaxation of the conditions of 'financeability' in the event of reorientation towards another type of teaching.

Download the press release