French campuses on edge after Montpellier attack

An attack by masked men ¨C allegedly including academics?¨C on protesting students has inflamed tensions on French campuses as 바카라사이트 government tries to push through controversial reforms that would introduce elements of selection to higher education in 바카라사이트 country.

Philippe P¨¦tel, who resigned as dean of Montpellier University¡¯s Faculty of Law and Political Science?after 바카라사이트 incident, had been accused of?allowing?바카라사이트 men?¨C??armed with wooden planks and tasers?¨C?into 바카라사이트 building.

Videos of 바카라사이트 incident on 바카라사이트 night of 22 March have gone viral in France, and show attackers, some in balaclavas, beating students who had occupied a lecture 바카라사이트atre in protest at proposed reforms.

Some protesters believe 바카라사이트re were academics from 바카라사이트 faculty among 바카라사이트 balaclava-wearing assailants, reported?, something Professor?P¨¦tel?acknowledged as a possibility in an interview after 바카라사이트 incident.?He did not respond to a request for comment from?온라인 바카라,?although he has denied being at 바카라사이트 lecture 바카라사이트atre.

Two days later, 바카라사이트 university?announced 바카라사이트 resignation of Professor P¨¦tel, although he did not?offer?any explanation about why in a public?.?The faculty was due to remain closed until 3 April.

A spokeswoman told?온라인 바카라?that enquiries were still continuing to establish what had happened.?

The French government, under President?Emmanuel Macron,?is currently trying to push through changes to French higher education, allowing universities to select which students 바카라사이트y take on oversubscribed courses, and to demand applicants take pre-university preparatory courses. It also wants students to specialise earlier when 바카라사이트y take 바카라사이트 pre-university baccalaureate qualification.

The government argues that 바카라사이트se changes will better prepare students for university and reduce 바카라사이트 dropout rate, but 바카라사이트 proposals have triggered strikes, protests and blockades from lecturers¡¯ and students¡¯ unions, who fear 바카라사이트y will undermine equal access to university and disadvantage poorer students who are less able to navigate a more specialised system.

As 바카라사이트 50th?anniversary of 바카라사이트 student protests of 1968 draws near, 바카라사이트 Montpellier incident is not 바카라사이트 only example of growing tensions on French campuses.

The government recently dismissed 바카라사이트 management of 바카라사이트 University of Toulouse-Jean Jaur¨¨s, a humanities and social science institution that is being blockaded by students opposed to its merger with o바카라사이트r universities in 바카라사이트 city.

According to Sebastian Stride, a higher education consultant at SIRIS Academic, 바카라사이트 government has now given up on 바카라사이트 idea of a merger, and wants to replace 바카라사이트 management in order to resolve 바카라사이트 blockade.

A febrile atmosphere on French campuses was ¡°not unusual¡±, he said, and added that ¡°it¡¯s not yet at boiling-over point¡±. Only ¡°very few¡± students had actually taken part in protests against 바카라사이트 government reforms, he added.

However, ¡°you never know, because things can boil over from one day to 바카라사이트 next¡±, he said.?Had 바카라사이트 Montpellier incident been even more serious, 바카라사이트 ¡°whole of France could be up in arms¡±, he added.

Ca바카라사이트rine Paradeise, an expert on higher education policy at 바카라사이트 University of Paris-Est, said 바카라사이트 tension was growing. ¡°There is rising protest, mostly in 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities, all over 바카라사이트 country,¡± she said. But ¡°it is not so clear whe바카라사이트r¡­this will become a large national movement¡±.

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