Three months before the presidential election, Emmanuel Macron on Thursday January 13 wanted a “ systemic
” reform
of universities, which he wants to be more “
professionalizing
”, while judging a system of higher education “
without any price
” for students but untenable.
with a massive failure rate.
"
I recognize it bluntly, we have started to plug the gaps, but we must redouble our efforts so that, on the horizon of ten years, our university is stronger
", he declared, closing in videoconference the Congress of the Conference of University Presidents.
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The Head of State first questioned the dual system of Grandes Ecoles-Universities.
“
For too long we have accepted a multi-speed model, where the grandes écoles and research organizations were supposed to deal with the training of elites and the university with the democratization of higher education and the management of the masses.
This system is over
,” he said.
“
Tomorrow it will be our universities which must be the pillars of excellence
”.
"Guaranteeing the orientation of young people towards employment"
Emmanuel Macron also denounced the "
intolerable waste
" of failure in the first year, where "
only 50% of students take exams
", despite the injection of new resources and the creation of 84,000 places. According to him, it is therefore not a question of means. “
We will not be able to remain permanently in a system where higher education has no price for almost all students, where a third of students are considered to be scholarship holders and where, however, we have so much student insecurity, and a difficulty to finance a model much more financed by public money than anywhere in the world
”, he argued.
"
I say things with the clarity and frankness that you know me
" because "
if we do not fix these structural problems, we would be lying to ourselves
", he continued.
And to continue: “
We need a systemic transformation of our universities
”.
These must, according to him, have more autonomy but the State will have to sign with them “
real contracts of objectives and means
”.
In particular “
the universities must no longer only guarantee the reception of students in training but guarantee the orientation of young people towards employment
”.
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"
The university must become more effectively professionalizing
", the Head of State also wished: "
the logic of supply must take precedence over the logic of demand
", or even, "
orientation must evolve to better meet the needs of the nation
. "
When we open up sectors with no perspective behind, we are leading an investment at a loss
", he said, after recalling the new means - 25 billion euros over 5 years - of the research programming law, "
a catch -up
" to his eyes.
Manuel Tunon de Lara, president of the Conference of University Presidents, renamed France Universities, demanded greater autonomy for institutions but also funding for higher education “
at the height of our ambitions
”.
