Students and lecturers have defeated yet another French government attempt to restructure universities and move toward privatization. The latest victory is the result of a strike that has shut down universities since February. As of May 8, 20 universities remained on strike.
French universities function as a public service. Teachers are civil servants and everyone who passes the baccalaureate exam has the right to attend a state university. The state universities are not free, but tuition is $650 while private universities charge tuition in the tens of thousands.
The latest round of strikes and protests was sparked by President Sarkozy’s newest plan to empower university presidents at the expense of professors and students. “They are trying to make the university into a place for the elite, the American way,” stated Pierre Arnaud, the son of a worker. Another student added, “They have to be open to everyone … we don’t want to have to answer to the government or businesses.”
