A report from the Institut Montaigne unveiled Thursday recommends a series of measures to improve the French higher education system.
More investment on the part of the State, more autonomy for universities but also an increase in registration fees: the think tank is inspired by the Anglo-Saxon system.
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Between the weariness of teachers, the real lack of financial means, especially for research or even the "lack of autonomy" and "the demographic influx", the Montaigne Institute has drawn up a list of the challenges that threaten the university before. to make recommendations, unveiled Thursday in a report.
Some proposals are likely to spark debate since the liberal think tank evokes an increase in registration fees or the revision of the status of teacher-researcher.
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Increase in registration fees
Going from 170 to 900 euros to register for a bachelor's degree and from 243 to 1200 euros for a master's: here is, for example, one of the bold proposals of the report.
The objective is to increase the financial inflows of universities.
And to compensate for this additional cost for students, the Institut Montaigne proposes to set up innovative loans that students would repay once they enter working life and according to their income.
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Another recommendation: for universities which so wish, the Institut Montaigne suggests that they manage their real estate assets on their own, which is not currently the case.
The inspiration for this report is clearly to be found on the Anglo-Saxon side.
University presidents are invited to become "institutional entrepreneurs": recover the prerogatives of the CROUS and manage all social assistance alone.
Aid for students and state investment
This aid should also be increased to the tune of 250 million euros for the students in greatest difficulty.
"Students must be placed at the heart of the system of higher education", assures the think tank.
“One in five students leaves higher education without graduating, ie 75,000 young people per year.
However, the State is not called upon to disengage, according to the Institute.
France should, on the contrary, increase its efforts and devote 5% of its GDP to higher education and research.
It's only 3.5% now.
"The economic model of French higher education, marked by chronic underfunding, is in fact no longer sustainable", warns the Institut Montaigne.