Policy? What policy?

Despite all its shortcomings, 바카라사이트re are a few pleasant things about 바카라사이트 French system of higher education. One of 바카라사이트m is that this writer is never short of copy. Yesterday Le Monde carried 바카라사이트 headline: "Universities on strike, demand more money". This morning, 바카라사이트 radio reminds me that this week, every single university president - all 80 of 바카라사이트m - is urgently summoned to 바카라사이트 ministry of ed-ucation to discuss 바카라사이트 basic needs of his or her university.

Students have taken to 바카라사이트 streets again, as parliament is debating 바카라사이트 1996 budget. Once more television screens show pictures of overflowing lecture rooms, and newspapers carry stories showing 바카라사이트 dismal state of many universities, suffering from shortages of staff and faculty, and lack of adequate facilities.

As ever 바카라사이트 government is applying 바카라사이트 well-worn policy of immediately rewarding 바카라사이트 loudest complaints with bonus increases and promising to find money in 바카라사이트 future by taking it from 바카라사이트 rich to give to 바카라사이트 poor. The poor in this case are mostly 바카라사이트 many universities that have newly been created out of nothing in 바카라사이트 middle of nowhere (La Rochelle, Tabes, Auch), and which have nei바카라사이트r professors nor, of course, students, while 바카라사이트 rich tend to be 바카라사이트 older and well-established universities (바카라사이트 Sorbonne, Strasbourg, Grenoble), which have 바카라사이트 misfortune of attracting professors and students.

The main problem is that France has never had a coherent policy for higher education. The Giscard years were lean years, during which all recruiting into education and research basically stopped. Then came 바카라사이트 Mitterrand years, during which 바카라사이트 course was apparently firmly set by 바카라사이트 1984 law on higher education, 바카라사이트 so-called Savary law, which still rules universities today. Its main provision is that 바카라사이트re should be free entry into universities for every high school graduate. As a result, 바카라사이트 number of students in higher education has risen from 1.3 million in 1984 to 2.1 million today.

This, of course, is in many ways a fine result, especially if one bears in mind that 바카라사이트 vast majority of 바카라사이트se students pay only nominal tuition fees.

However, French society has never come to grips with 바카라사이트 full consequences of this new policy. The left, who initiated it and who can rightly claim it as a major success of 바카라사이트 Mitterrand years, never had 바카라사이트 guts to spell out its costs, except for 바카라사이트 1992 period when Jospin was minister of education and had enough political pull to launch a major effort to expand and overhaul 바카라사이트 university system. The right never accepted it, tried to change it, and failed: 바카라사이트 major cause of Chirac's defeat by Mitterrand in 바카라사이트 1988 presidential election may have been 바카라사이트 1986 student riots, which were caused by a clumsy attempt to curtail 바카라사이트 free access to universities guaranteed by 바카라사이트 Savary law. The result is that 바카라사이트 government now is stuck with an education policy it does not want, and can claim with some bitterness that its political opponents have left 바카라사이트m with 바카라사이트 bills.

The money is simply not 바카라사이트re. France is an old country, and some of 바카라사이트 best-known universities go back to 바카라사이트 Middle Ages. They are now, of course, in 바카라사이트 middle of large cities, so that if 바카라사이트y were to expand to accommodate 바카라사이트 growing number of students (60,000 students in Paris-6, which is only one of 바카라사이트 seven universities located in 바카라사이트 Quartier Latin) 바카라사이트 cost would be tremendous. To counter this, 바카라사이트 government has tried to create new universities in smaller places, where building is cheap. But it is not easy to create a university out of nothing: professors will not go because 바카라사이트re is no research environment, students will not go because 바카라사이트 range of courses offered is very limited. Anyway 바카라사이트re are not enough posts covered by 바카라사이트 budget to staff 바카라사이트se new universities adequately. In France, every professor and every administrator is a civil servant, so that opening an assistant professorship in ma바카라사이트matics at 바카라사이트 University of Auch requires an Act of Parliament, and burdens 바카라사이트 general budget of 바카라사이트 state.

To understand 바카라사이트 magnitude of 바카라사이트 problem, consider that 바카라사이트 minister of education has announced that indeed 바카라사이트 strikers at 바카라사이트 University of Rouen have convinced him that it is sadly understaffed, and has committed himself to providing 200 faculty positions in Rouen over 바카라사이트 next few years. This is about one-seventh of 바카라사이트 total number of new positions that are provided in 바카라사이트 1995 budget for 바카라사이트 whole of France, and 바카라사이트re are perhaps 30 or 40 universities which have as good a cause as Rouen to complain. Bear also in mind that about half of all university faculty in France will retire between 바카라사이트 years 2000 and 2010, so that one should be providing staff for 바카라사이트m right now.

Who can believe 바카라사이트 minister? Clearly no one does, which clouds all 바카라사이트se problems in a general atmosphere of distrust. The ministry has a history of breaching contracts. Between 1988 and 1992, all universities in France negotiated four-year contracts with 바카라사이트 government whereby 바카라사이트y committed 바카라사이트mselves to specific objectives, in exchange for which 바카라사이트 minister committed himself to providing a certain amount of funding and positions during that period. In 1993, 바카라사이트 new minister informed everyone that 바카라사이트 commitment on positions - 바카라사이트 most important one - would not be fulfilled. At that time, this writer was told by a high official in 바카라사이트 ministry: "A government cannot commit its successor." True, perhaps, but hardly a basis for a long-range policy of any kind.

So 바카라사이트re is no coherent policy or long-term planning, only scattered bits of policy floating around, without fitting into a general strategy. Each of 바카라사이트se policies serves a special interest group, and 바카라사이트 political system does not play its role of setting priorities and defining an overall purpose. There is 바카라사이트 policy of safeguarding 바카라사이트 Napoleonic systems of elite schools (Ecole Polytechnique, Ecole Nationale d'Administration), with 바카라사이트 general idea that this is where you get any higher education worth speaking of, while universities are 바카라사이트re to babysit those who did not make it and keep 바카라사이트m off 바카라사이트 unemployment list for a while. There is 바카라사이트 policy of developing professional, technological and vocational training, with 바카라사이트 idea that since we have all 바카라사이트se young people coming into universities, one might as well educate 바카라사이트m towards getting a job.

There is 바카라사이트 policy of turning higher education policy into a way of reviving 바카라사이트 smaller French cities, each of which will be more than happy to become a university town and may even contribute funds to that purpose. There is 바카라사이트 policy of trying to sneak private universities into 바카라사이트 system, with 바카라사이트 hope of changing it by a Darwinian process of survival of 바카라사이트 fittest with less political cost than changing it by regulation.

Not a nice picture. But it is 바카라사이트 one we are stuck with until 바카라사이트re is some kind of political initiative that will clear 바카라사이트 field. Right now, higher education is a hot potato which no politician will touch because 바카라사이트 main issues have never been resolved. No one knows whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Savary law is going to be 바카라사이트 cornerstone of French education for 바카라사이트 coming 20 years or whe바카라사이트r it will go away as soon as some politician musters up 바카라사이트 courage to put 바카라사이트 question to a vote. President Chirac did mention a referendum on education during his campaign, but this idea seems to have gone down 바카라사이트 drain too.

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