Beijing schools announced on charging per course credit
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Transtlate The Beijing Municipal Commission of Education announced in January its plan on charging tuition according to number of course credits enrolled. If approved, the policy will be implemented at all universities in Beijing beginning next fall semester, the Beijing News reported.
Similar to policies practiced at universities worldwide, the four-year bachelor's degree program will now be more flexible, allowing students room to graduate between 3 to 6 years. The policy will also allow students to take classes in other majors at other universities.
Tuition for students finishing their credit in four years will not be higher than the present system, in which universities charge a flat fee for every school year. However, students applying for additional credits or repeat courses are expected to pay more money.
What do you think of charging tuition per credit?
Wang Hongcai
A professor of education at Xiamen University
Charging tuition based on credits is a policy many foreign universities follow. It serves students on an individual basis, while it also encourages universities to open more courses that students need and are interested in.
As a result, a more flexible school year is convenient for students so that they can choose proper time to graduate, or can better balance work with a lighter study load.
Charging fees based on credits also calls for the whole society to change their attitudes toward higher education. Though it's difficult to conduct, we cannot deny that the policy itself is an advance for our education system.
Cui Xinyu
A second-year grad student at Peking University
Generally speaking, I support the policy under which college students have a more flexible education. Students can pick courses according to their own needs. For the senior students, they can choose to look for a job or put it off for another year.
Credit systems are also more flexible because students can continue their studies years after they postpone their schooling. However, after the policy is implemented, university management cost will increase, as it's not easy to manage such varied schedules.
Xiong Bingqi
An education expert at Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Under this policy, students will be enabled to graduate earlier or later as they choose. They will also be able to take classes at other universities.
But to realize these benefits, universities have to reform their requirement system based on course credits. Nowadays, the compulsory course system is dominant at many universities. Without a credit system, promises of students' freedom to choose their own majors and courses are just empty words.
Also, universities have to protect their students' interests. Many students worry that their school sets high standards to intentionally hold them back and make more money. If so, students have to repeat classes and pay for more credits.
Charging per credit is a reform of the education system, making sure schools run independently and have academic objectivity while taking the interests of professors and students at the guiding light.
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