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Rectors oppose the definition of minimum levels of literacy, numeracy and English to enter higher education, considering that these criteria are already included in secondary assessments and national exams.
The committee of the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities (CRUP) defeated the Ministry of Education’s proposal to amend the law on degrees and diplomas in higher education and expressed its “total disagreement with the legislative proposal”.
According to the opinion consulted by , the opposition was decided in a “consensual and unequivocal” manner by all the institutions that make up the CRUP. Deans criticize the lack of empirical foundationimpact studies or cost assessment. For these institutions, this is a proposal that constitutes “a total restructuring of the Portuguese higher education system”, with no evidence that the suggested model is more effective than the current one.
One of the most controversial points has to do with the new rules for access to higher education. The diploma requires minimum levels of literacy, numeracy and English for candidates for different study cycles, based on international references such as the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. However, the rectors question the practical feasibility of the measure, since it is not clear who would be responsible for the evaluation or how it would be financed.
Furthermore, CRUP warns of the risk of exclusion of candidates and the negative impact on the sustainability of institutions. From your perspective, the introduction of new criteria represents a duplication of requirementsas students are already assessed through the current system, which includes completion of secondary education and national exams. “Perhaps attention should be focused on prior preparation and not so much on extremely demanding requirements for access to higher education”, they argue.
The criticism extends to what they consider to be a excessively standardized and disproportionate modelwhich contradicts national strategic objectives. “This is, therefore, an increase in complexity and screening that is considered profoundly inconsistent with the national objective of providing access to higher education to more young people”, they point out.
In light of these concerns, the rectors ask the immediate suspension of the legislative process and the in-depth review of the diploma and argue that any reform must be supported by rigorous studies on impacts and costs, as well as by a broad dialogue with all parties involved.
