In recent weeks, the university community has echoed the 3+2, yes, through student groups belonging to the most demagogic left and distorting the decree approved by the Council of Ministers on January 30. A decree that tries to equate university education to the rest of the European Union countries and that undoubtedly benefits the Spanish university student.
We have to go back to 2007 to realize that Spain made a decision that fragmented the mobility of students throughout Europe. Spain adapted to the Bologna Plan by opting for the 4+1 system while the rest of Europe opted for the mixed system (3 and 4-year degrees and 1 and 2-year master's degrees).
First of all, it is worth dismantling the first of the fallacies about the decree: the Decree does not force the student to complete 3 years of degree plus 2 of master's degree since it is absolutely voluntary to decide whether to take a master's degree after studying the university degree. Its application is not imposed since each university has full autonomy to implement it and the student can choose to study a 4-year degree or a 3-year degree. Even with this new system, Spanish students will be facilitated to complete master's degrees abroad with durations according to those taught in Spain.
Secondly, and no less important, is the great economic advantage of the new system, which brings with it a reduction in academic fees, since families will save up to 150 million euros with the reduction in time to complete a university degree.
There have been many political interferences that this issue has caused, but we must put our feet on the ground and look at Europe to realize that we have to end the school dropout rate and make the PISA reports our allies and not our opponents.
We gain mobility, we expand competitiveness, we save a year of fees, we manage to access the labor market faster and, in short, we build a flexible, diversified university system in which we all have a place. At this point, it is worth stating that on this occasion 3+2 is not 5.
