College and college students will not be allowed to take classes online until next week. This was decided after consulting with students and Education Minister Ben Waits (N-VA).
On Wednesday, the advisory committee decided to close primary and secondary schools a week before the Easter holiday, and there is no distance education. Only kindergarten will remain open, and high school exams may continue. Higher education must be completely online again. Students are only allowed to go to the campus for basic activities, such as hands-on activities that cannot be organized online. Students who need a quiet workplace can also go there.
The Flemish Student Association (VVS) regrets that higher education will completely switch to distance learning next week. And she insists on easing measures for students after the Easter holidays.
“It is very unfortunate, after less than two weeks of relaxation, that we are back to full-time distance learning,” says Elise Beckmann, President of VVS.
Since March 15, universities and colleges have been allowed again to organize more education by contact. They were allowed to use 20 percent of campus capacity (it was previously 10 percent) and students could attend a half day or a full day of classes on campus.
