After 16 weeks of strikes in several universities (there are 83 universities in France), and in light of the forthcoming exams, students - especially the ones from La Sorbonne in Paris - have announced tonight that they are going to put an end to their strike. They were opposing a 2007 law that established a certain competition between universities and allowed the deans to choose their teachers. Until now a diploma from any university was considered as good - or as bad! - no matter where you got it from. Also, the fees are the same no matter where you attend; it costs 373.57 Euros per year, including social security!
Do I recognize this student? I believe I do. Hey, instead of paying $100,000 + for Lila's NYU education, maybe I should have sent her to my alma mater!
ReplyDeleteI just enlarged the photo. Wow, Guille, you even look good on ID photos! How about your permis de conduire? Another glamour shot, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteGuille I can't believe you were born the year I graduated from college. I agree with Alexa - glam ID photo! Glad the strike's over. And yes, that low university fee is unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I missed PHX's quiz the past couple of days, but
ReplyDeletethose who were GF the most in 2008 were:
moi = 36 times (must get a life; didn't even start posting until May!)
Guille = 25
Katie = 23
ET Suzy = 18
Lynn = 16 (and PHX, 15)
Notre belle Guillemette! Katie, I'm not going to tell you what I was doing the year Guille was born, but I will say this: what people pay in France for a university education is about what I paid in the U.S. in the 70's.
ReplyDeleteThat price is incredible! I will try to find out tomorrow what ours cost.
ReplyDeleteGuille the year you were born I was married for the second time. It's no surprise to me though as we have talked about it before - I had my son the following year, 87 - you and my eldest son are only 9 months apart! I then had my second son in 1988 - you are almost exactly 2 years older than him. You are 5 years older than my youngest son! lol in fact I have just remembered, I had been married 3 days when you were born! he he... this was fun reminiscing. I was lying on a gorgeous beach in the Seychelles...........sigh......... :)
Oh my goodness! 373,57€ per year is incredibly affordable for a university education! The perks of a First World country.
ReplyDeleteI had to 'pawn' an arm and a leg to finance my education in this part of the world...
*rolls eyes*
Also, the fees are the same no matters where you apply; it costs 373,57 € per year, including social security! '
ReplyDeleteI'm sure some of your US readers are going to have a stroke when they see this post.
BTW, I forgot .. I like the labels "5th Arrt., French Politics" Kind of takes me back a bit ;)
ReplyDeleteIf my math is right, the cost is about equal to $500 US! In 1982 I remember my dad writing a check for $750 for college for me and my brother. And that was ONE semester!
ReplyDeleteHey, who's the foxy dame? OMG...it's Guille. Like I had to ask. I must say on my faculty ID, I look like a geeky "nerd" (BTW...first penned by Dr Seuss in 1950--see IF I RAN THE ZOO). Moving on. Did you say 373,57 Euros? What???? I've paid more for my ride cymbal. Really. Man, did I pick the wrong side of the ocean to get my degreasers...I mean degrees. And I'm still paying back a few of the student loans too. Probably will die before those are paid off. C'est la vie. It always does look brighter on a distant shore, and now I know another reason why.;-) Hey, glad the strike's over; hope it did some good.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Tomate - about the stroke. My youngest daughter will be starting college in September, to the tune of $45,000.00 per year! France is so civilized in that regard!
ReplyDeleteAlexa...I bow to you most honorable GF Queen. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a coincidence. When I was a student my “bar code” was 86.
ReplyDeleteI never really had to pay for student loans or any type of fees for school. The Corporation I worked for paid for my education. Such as classes, books, workshops, parking, and even snacks i.e. coffee. Lol
ReplyDeleteOf course the Corporation{s} decided the curriculum I studied.
Okay, I'll play along: When Guille was born, I'd been married for 11 years and my kids were 7 and 5 years old. BTW, when I say we paid $100,000+ for Lila's NYU education, that's after deducting her scholarship, work study, and student loans. My dad paid full price for my first year of college here in the States—he wrote a check for $2,000, bitchin' and moanin' all the way. (If he'd only known what a bargain that was!) What are we doing wrong here?
ReplyDeleteTo continue the "jeu de la vérité", when Guille was born, my first daughter was 3 years old and my second was 6 month old.
ReplyDeleteAs for the university fees, they also include access to the Library, to all the sport activities with no extra cost, except for horseback riding and a very few other ones, reduced prices almost everywhere and, as Eric mentioned, between 12 and 14 months of social security that costs, if you're not a student, a minimum of 30 € a month.
But, as far as I've been able to compare between France and the US, it is much more difficult to find a first job in France when you graduate from college than in the US. You have to take lots and lots of internships to "faire votre trou".
I don't think Guille will disagree with me ?
When I went to Boston University, I found out much later that my father charged the 2,000per year to American Express.
ReplyDeleteIn 1986, I was wearing big hair,big shoulder pads, working for Eastern Airlines and living in my hometown of Miami. I was flying all over the US and South America, with a touch of London thrown in.
Hmmm...I'm not quite sure that I understand what they are protesting against...That I'ts equal? but I guess thats not uncommon. Last time I was in Paris the subway and flights were on strike because they didn't want to retire at 57 years (!) they wanted 55. Ok I understand that the 65 years (as in sweden) retirement limit is hard for some, but 57- come on. And to give you americans the heartattac you talked about: In sweden university is free. ;)
ReplyDeleteAlexa, does that mean Guille is dangling from your crown today???
ReplyDeleteNow that's an original and different type of photo concerning student strikes. Not the norm at all. And Guille looking so sweet and pretty.
ReplyDeleteOn another subject, last night in Reims it did not get dark until past 9 pm (21:00). I was told to just wait, it gets better -- not dark until past 10 pm (22:00). Cool!
'86 is the year I got married. Guille is less than a year older than my eldest son.... We regularly joke about that ;-)
ReplyDeleteLois, I guess you enjoyed some Champagne, in Reims!
ReplyDeleteDid you also visit the Cathedral, and the "Ange au Sourire"?
Guille beautiful as always. You are our darling brat !
ReplyDeleteDid the students get anything out of their long lasting strike ???
As in Sweden all educations are free in DK too. But then we do pay a lot in taxes, but we also get a lot for our money (FREE educations, health care, social services and I could go on).
In '86 I was in highschool - good days !
ReplyDeleteOh goodness Thib your son must be very similar age to my son then. He was born in Feb 87. Yours? We also married in the same year! Er. To different people. Obviously. Cough.
ReplyDeleteI was complimented on the photo at my blog this morning and asked if I am taking lessons from Eric.
"Aren't we all?" I replied ;)
GF Alexa! Wear a brat on your crown!
ReplyDelete373,57 euros, you're right, it's nothing, but I keep thinking that it should be FREE! It's still too much for some people. One of my friend pay 10 euros per year (she's a grant holder), and I pay 498 euros because I'm following 2 different degrees.
I went to Norway last December, you won't believe me: not only Uni is free, but students are paid 900 euros a month to study!! No joke. It's probably easier in a country with 4 millions inhabitants...Ah, ces pays socialistes! ;)
Marylène, "it is much more difficult to find a first job in France when you graduate from college than in the US. You have to take lots and lots of internships to "faire votre trou"." You're SO right!
Anyway, paying 100,000$ is shameful, don't you think?
You all made me laugh with your "When Guille was born, I..."! Too bad I can't play. LOL
Grrr, it was Guille, not Guillemette! Merci blogger...
ReplyDeleteLynn, it seems that we live(d) sort of parallel lives, don't we? ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy sons were born on May 87, Feb 89 and Jan 91... All of age now, and more or less gone... sigh!
The irony of students being on strike. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteGuille: "Wear a brat on your crown!" I will, proudly—and I think it's the most original adornment yet! :~}
ReplyDeleteAbsolument, Thib! How odd. My sons: Feb 87, July 88, August 91. he he....... I have one son (b. 91) at home still. I'm not sure what to think of the merits of a gap year; sometimes I think straight to uni might be better for them, but he's taking one for 2009/10 and I'm just so happy to have him with me at home for one more year! :) Delighted.
ReplyDeleteLike your Guillemette/Guille crown, Alexa (isn't that odd Guille?!).
Phew, volatile post. Didnt realise that this was such an emotive issue. In world terms the costs are small. Not sure what all the fuss is about other than integration into the global economy...
ReplyDeleteGuille!!! Our favourite brat is back!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your exams now that strike is over.
Don't even get me started on education down here..... it's a subject that pisses me off
Le Brat has worn the crown, now the crown wears a brat! Photo mignon.
ReplyDeleteMy English is not good enough to be certain I fully get the meaning of Shaun's post but the only thing it inspires me right now is an old saying my Gandma used to say : On aime ou on n'aime pas mais on ne dit pas "Beurk" !!
ReplyDeleteCan someone tell me if I am right or wrong.
I was in college myself when Guille was born, going for that graphic design degree which I never achieved. Got married instead. Terrible mistake. Dump the boy and stay in school, kids.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm showing the picnic photos, the first thing I say about Guille is that I wish I had a son about her age - just thought I'd mention that, Lynn and Thib.
Anyhoo...
I think we pay about $3,000 a semester for my stepdaughter to go to a California State University, but I'm not sure. (My husband doesn't fill me in on the expenses.) Book costs are about $300 a semester for used books.
Heck, now that I think of it, I paid nearly $700 a month for my youngest to go to pre-school!
When I grow up, I want to go to college and become a famous lawyer in the art industry: like my friend Guille! Then she will comment on PDP: "When Jeff was born, I was....."
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I worry about is that I'm not quite as cute as she was when she was my age.
LOL, Jeff! Can we see a photo?
ReplyDelete373.57 Euros??????????? Incredible.
ReplyDeleteWow, that is about how much books for one semester cost in the US. Thank your lucky stars if you are in France for university!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in my first semester at college the tuition fee was $100 per semester. It was a state supported college and it is now several thousand dollars a semester for the same school...incredible ehhh??
ReplyDeleteSome time ago I had Frenchman who works in the USA tell me that he doesn't think socialized higher ed is a good idea. I think he was just saying it for shock value really, because when I pressed the issue he didn't want to debate. And of course, I'd win the debate. My impression was that despite his PhD he wasn't accustomed to thinking outside his specialty in any depth at all. Obviously not all French people are so narrow minded as him.
ReplyDeleteI might add that when I lived in California (before it was having huge state budget problems), I paid $1000 per semester to go to the state university (not UC).
ReplyDeleteBefore that I took courses at some community colleges, which are 2 year institutions, and paid about half that. Some semesters I paid nothing because I was poor enough to have tuition waived. This was very helpful.
However nowhere in the USA do students receive a stipend for housing, like they do in Germany. I wonderful if such a thing exists in France?
What? you only pay 373 Euros a year for University Education in France? Incredible, I want to be European, In America, that's the cost of perhaps 2 classes, not to mention books.
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