On the proposal of the Minister of Higher Education, the Government of the Belgian French Community, approved, on first reading, the draft reform of the landscape decree.

This reform aims at limiting the duration of studies while linking the possibility for students to carry over credits not passed from year to year, along with making the financial rules more readable. In order to move on to the next year, first-year baccalaureate students will now have to pass 60 credits.

Another major change in the draft decree is that students will have to pass their baccalaureate in a maximum of five years. They will have two years to complete the 60 credits of block 1 and four years to reach the 120 credits of their curriculum. 

Students who do not meet these conditions will cease to being financed by the French Community. A student who chooses to be reoriented will however benefit, during the cycle, from an additional year in terms of financial support, which will bring the total number of years to complete a bachelor's degree to a maximum of six years.

Furthermore, the reform of the landscape decree will require the higher education institutions to establish, before the beginning of each academic year, a 'success support plan' listing the remedial activities put into place.

Source:  Eurydice Unit – French Community