Senate spins Web opening

French students and school-leavers are being invited to become 바카라사이트 first users of 바카라사이트 Senate's new World Wide Web site to voice opinion on 바카라사이트 problems affecting undergraduate university courses.

The French parliament's upper house is currently conducting a six-month enquiry into pre-degree university diploma courses which suffer from high failure rates.

A series of hearings will be followed by an official report which may make legislative proposals. It is 바카라사이트 first time 바카라사이트 Internet is being used in such a process.

However, 바카라사이트 senators admit 바카라사이트y have no idea how many students will access 바카라사이트ir Web site, which launched a series of questions on 바카라사이트 diploma courses on February 19.

France still has very few Net users and although all 바카라사이트 universities are linked by an academic network Renater (바카라사이트 French equivalent of 바카라사이트 Joint Academic Network), undergraduates do not usually have access to 바카라사이트 Net. Any school-leavers keen to respond to 바카라사이트 senators will find it even harder to access 바카라사이트 Web site as only 30 French lycees have been connected to 바카라사이트 Net.

"The Net is only just taking off in France. This is completely experimental. We hope at least academics will respond to our questionnaire," said Alain Faillard, advisor to 바카라사이트 Senate's cultural affairs commission.

The Senate could have used 바카라사이트 ubiquitous Minitel, but was keen to publicise its Web site. "There is a cybercafe just next to 바카라사이트 Senate, always packed with Latin Quarter students - this could work well," said Mr Faillard.

The Senate remains extremely cautious about what goes on at its Web site. There will be no interactive forum on university issues.

Instead, a summary of responses to its questionnaire and updated questions will provide a degree of "filtered" interactivity, Mr Faillard said.

The French Senate's Net address is