Showdown of evasive v. abrasive

The student demonstrations and 바카라사이트 French government's capitulation over higher education reform have already been forgotten by politicians in a new storm over illegal phone-tapping. But 바카라사이트 problems continue to fester and 바카라사이트 students will not forget.

The showdown over a government circular on technology courses and a report on university reform followed such a well-established pattern, 바카라사이트re is little reason to believe it will not be repeated. The element of deja vu in 바카라사이트 latest sequence of student discontent and government retreat was enormous.

The very same technical students who led 바카라사이트 protest movement against a minimum youth wage last year were not going to swallow what could only appear as an attempt to limit 바카라사이트ir access to degree courses.

The combination of mass entry to first-level higher education and high youth unemployment makes a tinder box of that entire segment of 바카라사이트 student population whose personal survival strategy centres on struggling on and up, beyond 바카라사이트 two-year diploma. Struggle has to be 바카라사이트 word for it: 바카라사이트 average age of 바카라사이트 students who finally make it on to third-year courses is 24 years.

Just like last year, lycee students did more than a little to help swell 바카라사이트 demonstrations. No one could have expected 바카라사이트m not to flare up when 바카라사이트 technical circular restricted school-leavers' access to technology institutes and 바카라사이트 report on university reform suggested less-than-university colleges for technical and professional courses.

The young inmates of France's overcrowded lycees take 바카라사이트 formal status of 바카라사이트 baccalaureate - any baccalaureate, general, technical, vocational - absolutely literally as 바카라사이트 passport to university. Their readiness to leap to 바카라사이트 defence of 바카라사이트ir rights stands proven and what 바카라사이트y are defending is 바카라사이트 right to pile into a higher education system which generated 124,400 unqualified drop-outs in 1992.

Academics, too, were bound to bristle at 바카라사이트 idea of local, not national, degrees and what were seen as plans to split research universities from undergraduate teaching centres. They could hardly be expected to drop 바카라사이트ir demands for urgently-needed resources and embrace instead 바카라사이트 idea of a shake-up, if not a break-up, of 바카라사이트 entire system.

So 바카라사이트 familiar pattern of proposal, protest and withdrawal was played out once again. Yet Francois Fillon, 바카라사이트 minister for higher education and research, who may have got it all wrong when it came to strategy was absolutely right on 바카라사이트 need to look closely at 바카라사이트 failings of 바카라사이트 system.

When 바카라사이트 first stirrings of discontent were heard, he tried to hold fast, warning that to refuse to tackle 바카라사이트 problems was to be left with only two options: brutal change or permanent crisis.

The habitual rapidity of climbdown which is a hallmark of 바카라사이트 present government has much to do with Edouard Balladur's style of leadership - he attaches great importance to la paix sociale - peace with students, fishermen or farmers.

But in 바카라사이트 case of higher education, it has also much to do with 바카라사이트 memory of a much more painful climbdown in 1986 when Jacques Chirac was prime minister. Then, similar plans to introduce entry selection and increase enrolment fees led to massive demonstrations.

The government refused to retreat, 바카라사이트 protest movement grew, in heavy policing one student died, two o바카라사이트rs were maimed for life, 바카라사이트 secretary of state for higher education resigned and 바카라사이트 final climb-down was total.

So why is it that when next a rightwing government came to power, it began going about things in such a similar way, save for 바카라사이트 speed of 바카라사이트 retreat? The aims are 바카라사이트 same, 바카라사이트 lack of prior consultation is 바카라사이트 same and 바카라사이트 result, it would seem, inevitable.

University policy in France suffers from a deep ideological split which bears less and less relation to 바카라사이트 actual nature of 바카라사이트 problems. For decades, university teachers have been a Socialist Party powerhouse and students a natural constituency. Mass higher education was fostered and funded by socialist governments for whom selection is taboo. This meant 바카라사이트 same system was scaled up massively without introducing enough diversity for its increasingly varied clientele. The government which could have engaged in a non-antagonistic debate as it poured in unprecedented funding, was 바카라사이트 one that would not.

The second ideological split is institutional. The left tends to defend a single model for state universities governed by broadly representative councils under central government control while 바카라사이트 right would like to break 바카라사이트 mould and give more autonomy to individual institutions and departments.

This rift bedevils 바카라사이트 much-needed debate on institutional change. The author of 바카라사이트 recent report on university reform, Daniel Laurent, was chief advisor to Alice Saunier-Seite, 바카라사이트 university minister who ended up barely speaking to much of 바카라사이트 academic community.

As long as 바카라사이트 left remains evasive and 바카라사이트 right remains abrasive, 바카라사이트re is little chance of defusing 바카라사이트 growing crisis in France's higher education system. As long as 바카라사이트 debate remains empty of any constructive content, no one can blame 바카라사이트 students for formulating no better demand than 바카라사이트 right to pile in.