The Black Book of Bologna Process

Documentos [pdf] produzidos pela ESIB acerca do Processo de Bolonha:
- Análise de Bolonha pela ESIB [en]
- O Livro Negro do Processo de Bolonha [en]

"The Bologna Process has been several times accused of just being a justification to support financial cuts in the educational budgets of several countries. True or false, in Portugal this hidden agenda has clearly distorted the reflection and implementation of the Bologna Process. We could say that the main discussion in Portugal for the last two years has been centred in the duration of the first and second cycle and what designation they should have.
The first public statements, namely the one presented by the national rectors conference [CRUP] and endorsed by the polytechnics association [CCISP] advocated for a 4 years first degree that should be named “licenciatura” extinguishing the present day 3 years “bacharelato”. And why were some of the stakeholders defending such a position when the majority of other countries were going to the 3+2 structure? Our opinion is that at the time they were concerned that the second cycle would not be financed by the Government, so the logical way to go would be extending to the maximum the financed first cycle. After some months of discussion this is no longer the unanimous opinion of some of the stakeholders. The former and the present Ministers of Higher Education made in the last months declarations supporting the idea that all the “necessary” education would be financed by the Government, and that in these cases student financial contribution should be at the same level of the 1st cycle.
Well, this concept of “necessary” education makes us scratch our heads and place some questions. Who will decide what will be the necessary education? Will all the institutions be able to provide this education at the level of the second cycle? How much will students attending a “non-necessary” 2nd cycle be asked to pay for their choice? These are all questions that prove that the “hidden factor” is not yet out of the discussion.
Due to these distortions we are severely concerned that the Bologna reforms will bring additional barriers for student in terms of their progress in higher education. We also believe that the Portuguese Government is overlooking the necessary social dimension of the Bologna reforms. And failing to cope with this can easily marginalize the country in the future European Area of Higher Education, excluding the Portuguese students and the Portuguese higher education system of the full enjoyment of the Bologna Process benefits."

ESIB - The National Unions of Students in Europe was founded in 1982 to promote the educational, economic, cultural, social and political interests of students in Europe. ESIB, through its 50 members from 37 countries, currently represents more than 10 million students in Europe.