A few weeks ago, the University of Vienna attracted attention when students started to occupy the Auditorium Maximum while protesting against bad learning conditions, entrance restrictions, cut downs on the budget for higher education. In the meantime, more than 50 universities are affected by a big movement which especially disapproves the “Bologna Process“; but what went wrong?
First, we should have a look at some goals pursued by the Bologna accords:
- accepted standards all over Europe concerning academic degrees
- comparable and compatible academic degrees throughout Europe
- lower University drope-out rates
- higher student mobility
Given these four important aspects of that Bologna declaration we have to realize that the Bologna process has failed. Most universities are occupied in Germany where the education system seems to have many defects – according to thousands of students.
Many German universities decided to transform their traditional degrees “Magister” and “diploma” into a bachelor-/ master system which respectively consists of six and four semesters. The courses of study were effectively tranformed from a four year course to a three year course. Consequences are: students would have to learn more in a shorter period of time.
Given the fact that in some German Federal States tuition fees of up to 500 Euros per semester were introduced some years ago, the pressure on many students has grown. Surveys showed that tuition fees would prevent some high-school graduates from studying at universities. Critical voices stated a social selection caused by the fees.
Further points of criticism are:
- democratic participation for students at schools and universities is too low
- the influence of the economy on education is too strong
- courses at university are too inflexible
Most students, professors and politicians agree on the last point: university seems to turn into another place of “teaching like in school”. The question is: how could that Bologna process be modified? Neither politicians, nor professors or anybody else appears to be responsible for the developments during the last years – as usual.
But this time the student protests probably won´t stop too early: they have become a strong movement and are fighting for real improvements – for their human right to education.
