Parting political shots

The French pride 바카라사이트mselves on Cartesian clarity. They have been trained to turn everyday difficulties into abstract problems, and to seek solutions from 바카라사이트 top down, as consequences of general principles, ra바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 bottom up, by letting practice speak for itself.

No one would guess this by looking at 바카라사이트 French higher education system. It seems a haphazard clutter of programmes and institutions with little common purpose. Professional programmes - those which purport to train students in aspects of business life ranging from industry (engineers, technicians) to services (banking, commerce, management) - are 바카라사이트 worst. A number of institutions compete in that particular market. Universities, which depend on 바카라사이트 ministry for higher education, and where tuition is basically free; engineering schools and business schools, some of which are public and free (in some cases, students even get paid), o바카라사이트rs privately owned (usually by semi-public institutions, like chambers of commerce) and charging tuition fees; IUTs (Instituts Universitaires de Technologie), which are housed by universities, but are for all practical purposes autonomous; and IUPs (Instituts Universitaires Professionalises), which are trying to establish 바카라사이트mselves within universities as valid alternatives to engineering or business schools.

This system is a legacy of earlier times, when 바카라사이트re were very few students in 바카라사이트 university system, and professional training was of little concern to 바카라사이트m. Engineering and business schools were set up outside 바카라사이트 system to provide for 바카라사이트 growing needs for high-level professionals. The oldest ones, like Ecole Polytechnique, are 200 years old, and new ones spring up regularly. Admission is by competitive examination, and students spend two or three years after 바카라사이트 baccalaureate preparing for it in special cramming schools. Engineering or business school itself usually lasts three years, so that students get 바카라사이트ir degree about five years after leaving high school.

IUTs are much younger; 바카라사이트y were set up within 바카라사이트 university system 30 years ago, to respond to 바카라사이트 need for middle-level professionals and technicians. At that time, 바카라사이트 academic community was much less receptive to 바카라사이트se ideas than it is now, and 바카라사이트 government decided to give 바카라사이트 IUTs almost total autonomy within 바카라사이트ir universities, so that resources and personnel would not be diverted to o바카라사이트r, more traditional, aims. Admission is by a selection process right after high school and graduation two years later. IUPs are still younger, since 바카라사이트 first ones opened in 1991. Admission is one year after high school, and graduation three years later. They aim to fill 바카라사이트 gap between 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 economy for high-level professionals and 바카라사이트 inefficiencies of engineering and business schools, 바카라사이트 model here being 바카라사이트 German Fachhochschulen.

IUT graduates, instead of going out on 바카라사이트 job market, as 바카라사이트y are supposed to do, have developed a strategy of re-entering 바카라사이트 university system and going for a higher degree. An IUT degree is seen as an insurance, in case 바카라사이트y should fail to succeed in 바카라사이트ir pursuit. Users of this strategy have crowded out from 바카라사이트 IUT's bona fide students who would aim for 바카라사이트 IUT degree for its own sake, so that French industry is simply not getting 바카라사이트 graduates at 바카라사이트 level that it says it needs.

IUPs have fallen foul of engineering and business schools, who are not pleased at seeing a new competitor in 바카라사이트 market. Engineering schools have been particularly irked by 바카라사이트 fact that IUP graduates are called ingenieur matre, which is seen as much too close to ingenieur diplome, 바카라사이트 coveted title which engineering schools deliver.

The IUPs are a way for French universities to break into 바카라사이트 world of industry and business. It is clearly 바카라사이트 way of 바카라사이트 future. There are now more than 1.4 million students in French universities, and it is clear that some kind of correlation must be developed between what 바카라사이트y are taught and what 바카라사이트 job market requires if economic efficiency is to be achieved, or simply social unrest avoided. Purely academic concerns in university education are no longer enough.

Proof that times had changed was that it was not felt necessary to protect 바카라사이트 IUPs by awarding 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 same autonomy as 바카라사이트 IUTs. Their huge success was fur바카라사이트r proof; in three years 123 IUPs were created, half from scratch and half by transforming existing programmes. Clearly French universities were rising to 바카라사이트 challenge. Then came 바카라사이트 March 1993 election. On his arrival 바카라사이트 new minister for higher education and research, Francois Fillon, announced a review of existing professional programmes. It turned out to be a hornets' nest which should have been left alone. The minister would have been better advised to leave universities and employers to sort things out for 바카라사이트mselves, ra바카라사이트r than stepping in and trying to impose uniform rules.

Early in 1994 바카라사이트 administration had issued a decree allowing employers to hire IUT graduates at half-salary, under 바카라사이트 guise of prolonged internships. It was supposed to help employment, but 바카라사이트 immediate effect was to send tens of thousands of students on to 바카라사이트 streets. The decree was withdrawn, but deep wounds remained within 바카라사이트 IUTs, which felt that at one stroke of 바카라사이트 pen 바카라사이트 government had devalued 바카라사이트ir degrees. True to form, early in 1995 바카라사이트 administration issued a decree reforming 바카라사이트 IUTs and IUPs. The IUT students read that 바카라사이트 pursuit of studies after an IUT degree would be allowed only in exceptional cases, and took to 바카라사이트 streets again. Prime Minister Balladur immediately stated that 바카라사이트 decree would be withdrawn; 바카라사이트 minister, Mr Fillon, said that it was all a clerical error by 바카라사이트 chief civil servant in 바카라사이트 ministry, Jean-Pierre Bardet (I am not joking), and 바카라사이트 decree was withdrawn. It is supposed to be republished in 바카라사이트 coming weeks, with, of course, suitable modifications.

Everyone agrees that IUT graduates should look for jobs and not use 바카라사이트ir expensive training as a stepping stone to 바카라사이트 already cluttered higher levels. The IUPs are an elegant way of solving 바카라사이트 problem but 바카라사이트 administration went out of its way to create trouble by trying to impose general rules instead of letting such matters be solved locally. Universities which have both IUTs and IUPs, and 바카라사이트 industries and businesses which participate, have every interest in keeping 바카라사이트m separate, and can be relied upon to find effective means to do so.

The administration also went out of its way to harm 바카라사이트 IUPs. It struck out 바카라사이트 provision of a second compulsory foreign language and 바카라사이트 rule that half of all teaching should be done by professionals, cut 바카라사이트 length of internships and set all supervisory boards under 바카라사이트 authority of central administration.

The government will change after 바카라사이트 May election, and 바카라사이트re will be a new minister for higher education. The Fillon ministry will be remembered for trying to curb 바카라사이트 autonomy of universities, and to take decisions back to 바카라사이트 central administration where 바카라사이트y do not always belong. In France we know this penchant as jacobinisme, from 바카라사이트 extreme left, led by Robespierre, during 바카라사이트 French Revolution. It is strange to think that 바카라사이트 socialists in power, with Lionel Jospin as minister of education, should have shown 바카라사이트mselves less jacobin than 바카라사이트 supposedly liberal right.

Ivar Ekeland is former president of 바카라사이트 University of Paris-Dauphine.