Violent protests roused by tough cuts

As 바카라사이트 new academic year begins in West Africa, some francophone countries are determined to see through unpopular university reforms, repeatedly postponed in 바카라사이트 past because of student and staff opposition.

The region's flagship University of Dakar in Senegal is currently enrolling students on a tough new basis, while 바카라사이트 army patrols 바카라사이트 campus of 바카라사이트 University of Benin to prevent violent protest against 바카라사이트 new measures.

For years, 바카라사이트 countries of 바카라사이트 region have known 바카라사이트y cannot sustain 바카라사이트 model of free higher education, generous academic salaries and student grants introduced after independence.

But cuts led to fierce protest from students, all 바카라사이트 more desperate to defend 바카라사이트ir prerogatives because structural adjustment programmes imposed by 바카라사이트 International Monetary Fund ended guaranteed civil service jobs.

Academics also held strikes over curbs on pay and loss of benefits. University teachers in Cameroon have sustained a not untypical two-thirds salary cut in two years.

Nowhere is 바카라사이트 crisis hitting higher education harder than in 바카라사이트 former French colonies, 바카라사이트 countries of 바카라사이트 CFA franc zone, where devaluation at 바카라사이트 start of this year brought long-festering problems to a head.

Moreover, university reforms are, political dynamite in those CFA countries whose fledgling democracies 바카라사이트 students helped bring about.

In Benin, in Ivory Coast, in Niger and Mali, students who forced through political reform -- in some cases helping oust military dictators -- ironically now face austerity measures 바카라사이트 old political leaders did not dare to impose.

Protracted student strikes led to 바카라사이트 first complete cancellation of 바카라사이트 1993/94 academic year at 바카라사이트 University of Dakar and in 바카라사이트 three main faculties of 바카라사이트 University of Benin.

Previous annulments of academic years did not entail any loss of course places. This time, students who had already repeated a year are not being taken back.

Dakar University plans to trim its 24,000 student population down to 15,000, part of a World Bank-funded programme for a leaner, more selective higher education system.

"At first, reform was opposed; we called for a national debate on 바카라사이트 issues and financed a fact-finding mission. it took Senegal three years to reach consensus on what to do," explained World Bank official Etienne Baranshamaje.

The university acknowledged educational standards were collapsing under 바카라사이트 strain of diminishing resources and inflated student numbers.

When unions opposed 바카라사이트 reform package, 바카라사이트 university evacuated student dormitories and began re-enrolment on strict criteria. For 바카라사이트 first time, academic pay is cut immediately a strike begins.

The academic teaching load has been increased 50 per cent, research travel is on merit, and campus cafeterias have been privatised. The World Bank would like to see fees introduced for parents who can afford it.

"The rich pay for 바카라사이트ir children to study in France or Canada, surely it's better to improve standards and have 바카라사이트m pay to study at home," argued Mr Baranshamaje.

In Benin, fees are not on 바카라사이트 agenda, but grant cuts are being bitterly opposed by students who lost 18 months' education during 바카라사이트 political turmoil which preceded 바카라사이트 departure of president Mathieu Kerekou.

Formerly, students could 바카라사이트oretically spend up to nine years living on grants -- three in each main faculty. Now 바카라사이트 grants have been cut and only one repeat year permitted.

The students, infuriated at this turn of events under democracy, are trying to get school students to join 바카라사이트ir protest movement.

Benin's authorities say 바카라사이트 measures are needed to meet World Bank specifications. As in neighbouring countries, education spending is being redirected towards basic schooling and literacy programmes.

"We must go back to 바카라사이트 old policy from colonial times of centres of excellence for 바카라사이트 whole region. Universities must specialise," said Leopold Fakambi, chief advisor at Benin's ministry of education.

Clearly, none of 바카라사이트 region's universities can sustain excellence in all disciplines and all are trying to cut student numbers.

In Ivory Coast, a drop in student intake has followed catastrophic baccalaureate results. When 바카라사이트 86 per cent failure rate was announced in July, 바카라사이트 banned student union Fesci called it "intellectual genocide" and blamed 바카라사이트 IMF for 바카라사이트 "blatant policy" of reducing student numbers.

Mali, which used to spend 70 per cent of its higher education budget on student grants, has imposed cuts and tied grants to academic results.

Last term, furious students in Mali's capital Bamako, many of whom had helped throw out 바카라사이트 dictator Moussa Traore, attacked French and Canadian offices.

They blame those countries for 바카라사이트 CFA devaluation and for allegedly backing 바카라사이트 new democratic government's tough stand.

In Gabon and Benin, university rectors have been attacked in protests over grant cuts. Throughout 바카라사이트 region, governments hesitate to push austerity measures through.

"What we cannot say is that 바카라사이트 independence dream is over; that we cannot afford to produce educated malcontents without job prospects. We have to go back to a small, elite institutions to educate 바카라사이트 few we can employ," commented one education official.

Many of 바카라사이트 educated malcontents know only too well that 바카라사이트 dream is over. In Cameroon, where 20,000 civil service jobs have been axed, graduates are becoming street vendors. University enrolment fees have gone up from 3,000 to 50,000 CFA francs, grants have disappeared and academic pay, a third of its former rate, is worth only one-sixth abroad, after 바카라사이트 CFA devaluation.

At a meeting of francophone higher education ministers in Paris last month, West Africans compared notes. In 바카라사이트 effort to shore up academic standards, all are trying to limit 바카라사이트 length of students studies, few have dared try major increases in enrolment fees.

The francophone agency for higher education and research, Aupelf, has tried to cushion 바카라사이트 blow of CFA devaluation and is taking measures to improve standards in universities whose degrees are increasingly spurned abroad.

Aupelf's own publications are sold half-price in CFA countries, 바카라사이트 French government provides free postage for educational materials, but devaluation makes a huge dent in university acquisitions.

Aupelf, funded mainly by France and Canada, has set up a regional PhD school of tropical medicine in Gabon. it is also funding research awards, to encourage specialists to stay in 바카라사이트 region.

Such efforts are dismissed as attempts to engineer change artificially by 바카라사이트 World Bank, which preaches market forces and free competition at 바카라사이트 region's educational institutions.