Freedom is necessary for students to develop their own sense of responsibility. Only when students experience the freedom to take responsibility will they learn to appreciate it.
If education is to lead to emancipation, students must have the freedom to pursue the education they deem necessary. In addition, students must be free to choose where they want to study, and suitable accommodation must be available in their city of study. Furthermore, students must be free to be part of the educational community without prejudice and to remain themselves without being obliged to adapt to that educational community.
Critical thinking can only thrive in an environment of freedom, where you can express yourself without prejudice, without fear of repercussions and without persecution. Education only leads to pluralism if there is the freedom to express multiple perspectives. And as mentioned earlier, freedom also enables students to be themselves, which is another prerequisite for pluralism.
It is important that students are free to choose their own course of study, but also have the freedom to choose subjects and shape their own curriculum during their studies. To this end, it is necessary that students are well and fully informed about the learning objectives and learning outcomes of the programme and the subjects.
Only when students have the freedom to choose what suits their needs can there be true self-development. It is therefore important that all fields of study, large and small, remain a subject of study in all phases of higher education.
Furthermore, it is important that students have the freedom to be critical of the institution itself and to indicate where they see room for improvement.
Studying without obstacles
The LSVb stands for studying without obstacles. This means that students should not be forced in any way to graduate quickly or quicker. Students must be given the space to make mistakes, to develop new interests and give them a chance, and to simply be able to make the wrong choice. Choices made by educational institutions and the government should not be based on financial considerations. However, students who want to study faster should also be given the opportunity to do so. Ultimately, the choice is up to the student.