“French President Nicolas Sarkozy is under pressure to walk away from plans for a radical shake-up of higher and secondary education after tens of thousands of lecturers, researchers, teachers and students took to the streets in protest. Lectures held in streets and cafes have helped draw attention to a growing list of grievances and win public support. During the past three weeks demonstrations, some violent, have brought classes to a halt across the country, including in Paris, Marseilles and Bordeaux. In Strasbourg, a visit by the Higher Education and Research Minister, Valerie Pecresse saw police occupy the steps of the university’s main building and use tear gas against demonstrators. Teaching stopped at three universities in Toulouse, one in Lyons and most departments in Marseilles. Newspaper reports in Europe said that the ‘unlimited strike action’ had seen some staff at one university in Paris, Paris XIII, on strike for three weeks …” (more)
[The Australian Higher Education, 25 February]