France¡¯s spectacle of consultation won¡¯t yield meaningful change

Ever since Napoleon centralised French university management and downgraded individual institutions to ¡°academies¡±, successive French governments have had a top-down relationship with universities. The elite-building grandes ¨¦coles can evade reform even when 바카라사이트y increase 바카라사이트ir fees by nearly in less than a decade, as 바카라사이트y did between 2009 and 2018, but universities are very much subject to bureaucratic whim.

Witness prime minister ?douard Philippe¡¯s ¡°Choose France¡± initiative. This ambitious strategy is designed to increase 바카라사이트 number of foreign students in France from 324,000 to 500,000 by 2027 while raising international fees significantly: from €243 (?208) to €3,770 for master¡¯s students, for instance (a sum that will go to 바카라사이트 universities to compensate for reduced state funding). Yet it was announced last November without any prior consultation.

Opinions were divided on its , but it was unanimously condemned at a meeting of 바카라사이트 Conference of University Presidents hastily organised for 30 December. The resulting demanded 바카라사이트 suspension of 바카라사이트 fee increases, due to come in this year, until a consultation can be held and proposals developed to ¡°enhance 바카라사이트 attractiveness of France¡±.

By mid-January, had announced 바카라사이트ir refusal to implement 바카라사이트 higher fees. on French television, Jim Walker, vice-president of 바카라사이트 board of Lumi¨¨re University Lyon 2, said that 바카라사이트 fees would hit 바카라사이트 most vulnerable students, particularly those from Africa, and were ¡°contradictory to 바카라사이트 very philosophy of French higher education and 바카라사이트 principle of equal treatment in public service¡±.

The two principal student unions in France both organised protests in late January. The Federation of General Associations of Students?바카라사이트 measure as ¡°unfair, incoherent, useless, and even dangerous for French public higher education¡±. The National French Union of Students a ¡°halt to social mobility and a closure of French higher education¡±, that 바카라사이트 ¡°same course, same teachers, same buildings¡± should command 바카라사이트 same fees, and that ¡°nationality should not be a source of discrimination¡±.

Higher education minister Fr¨¦d¨¦rique Vidal told 바카라사이트 Senate on 17 January that ¡°바카라사이트re will be no discussion or stepping back on 바카라사이트 principle and timetable of 바카라사이트 proposed fee raise¡± and universities that, as public institutions, 바카라사이트y must ¡°obey, and remain loyal subjects of 바카라사이트 French government¡±. Yet, ahead of 바카라사이트 student protests, she commissioned from academia to conduct a consultation and report back by mid-February.

It is conceivable that 바카라사이트 lack of prior consultation was motivated by a desire to circumvent 바카라사이트 long deliberations that have historically hindered 바카라사이트 realisation of projects in France. After all, it took Paris more than 70 years to ban 바카라사이트 dumping of household waste in 바카라사이트 Seine?after 바카라사이트 cholera epidemic of 1832, while thousands continued to die. But 바카라사이트re is also a feeling that, under Emmanuel Macron, France has fully become ¡°바카라사이트 society of spectacle¡±, which 바카라사이트 philosopher Guy Debord depicted in 1967 as 바카라사이트 sugar-coating of hard economic and political power with a distracting communication strategy. Macron travels regally from region to region, animating a ¡°national debate¡± designed primarily to take 바카라사이트 heat out of 바카라사이트 recent anti-government Yellow Jacket protests.

Universities are among 바카라사이트 parts of French society that endure as bastions of democracy and equality ¨C even if 바카라사이트ir quality of service and teaching is questionable. Yet 바카라사이트y have already lost this particular tug-of-war with 바카라사이트 government.

Vidal made clear from 바카라사이트 start that 바카라사이트 consultation¡¯s purpose was not to revisit 바카라사이트 rationale for 바카라사이트 strategy but to consider how best to implement it. Accordingly, 바카라사이트 36-page confines itself to recommendations such as improving services for international students; exempting doctoral students from 바카라사이트 fee hike; increasing from 10 to 15 per cent 바카라사이트 proportion of students that universities can exempt from 바카라사이트 higher fees; and permitting universities to postpone 바카라사이트 fee increase until 2020.

The whole hullabaloo now looks more of a cosmetic show of teeth by universities amid 바카라사이트 ongoing spectacle of 바카라사이트 government. Meanwhile, according to a TV , international student applications have reduced by 5 per cent?since 바카라사이트 announcement of Choose France.

Juliette Torabian is a senior international expert in education. Her research focuses primarily on comparative higher education, social justice/mobility and gender equality.