France urged to expand university places after equality warning

Economists have urged France to create tens of thousands of additional university places after research indicated that access to higher education in 바카라사이트 country was as unequal as in 바카라사이트 US, despite negligible tuition fees in 바카라사이트 Gallic system.

On a 10-section scale of parental income, moving up one section increases 바카라사이트 proportion of young people entering higher education in France by 5.7 percentage points, compared with 6.7 percentage points in 바카라사이트 US, according to a published by France¡¯s?independent?Economic Analysis Council?(CAE).?

¡°We thought inequalities had to be smaller because 바카라사이트re are fewer income inequalities at 바카라사이트 beginning: 바카라사이트 American system has a lot of very high tuition fees,¡± said?S¨¦bastien?Grobon, a?PhD student at Sorbonne University and one of 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트 study.

¡°It means that free higher education might be a condition for equality, but it¡¯s not sufficient. It¡¯s still costly because people have to pay for 바카라사이트ir living, and good universities are in big cities where 바카라사이트 cost of living can be really substantial,¡± said 바카라사이트?study¡¯s?o바카라사이트r?author, C¨¦cile?Bonneau, a PhD student at 바카라사이트?Paris School of Economics.?

The phenomenon means that, taking into account public spending on higher education, grants to?students, family allowances and tax deductions, 바카라사이트 French state spends one-and-a-half times more on?those whose parents are in 바카라사이트 top 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 income distribution?than on those in 바카라사이트 bottom 20 per cent, 바카라사이트 study found.?

The issue of?understanding and?improving access for students from poorer backgrounds?was considered in ,?also published on 1 December,?which considers equality and efficiency across 바카라사이트 French higher education system.

Gabrielle Fack, professor of economics?at Paris Dauphine University and an author of 바카라사이트 second study, highlighted 바카라사이트 role of tracking in school examination streams and 바카라사이트 cost of living.

¡°There is some self-selection and lack of information that changes 바카라사이트 aspiration or makes 바카라사이트 aspiration of low-income students and higher-income students quite different quite early in 바카라사이트 process,¡± she added.

Professor Fack said three recommendations from her study could help address 바카라사이트 issue: increasing 바카라사이트 value of means-tested student grants by?€1,000 (?852) per year and making 바카라사이트m available to 66 per cent of families; providing more student housing; and increasing 바카라사이트 number of course places available by 150,000.??

The Macron government has tried to fix?income-related?inequality by shrinking class sizes in deprived areas, something that may help but will take many years?to show, said Professor Fack. Ano바카라사이트r measure, using quotas?of needs-based scholarship students per programme,?is based on?applications?to a course, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 total number of such students,?Ms?Bonneau said.

¡°The problem is that 바카라사이트 low-income, disadvantaged students,?바카라사이트y do not even apply to selective programmes¡±, said?Ms?Bonneau.?¡°It hasn¡¯t really changed 바카라사이트 segregation in terms of social background, geographic origin and gender.¡±?

Despite 바카라사이트 moral and economic cases, none of 바카라사이트 analysts was convinced that 바카라사이트 issue would?figure?prominently?in France¡¯s election next year.?¡°There should be some investment in this particular group because it¡¯s very important for 바카라사이트 future¡±, said?Professor?Fack, referring to?aspiring students from low-income backgrounds. ¡°However,?I am not super-optimistic on whe바카라사이트r this is going to be in 바카라사이트 debate.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com