German students march against change

Post-recessionary Ireland is not the only place where students fear the return of tuition fees. But while the recent student agitation in Ireland was concerned only with the possible re-introduction of fees, the students of Germany have a considerable list of grievances they wish to draw attention to. As well as pushing for the abolition of tuition fees, German student unions are trying to publicise inequality in access to education and deficiencies in the Bologna Process.
Protests took place across the country in late November and early December to draw the attention of politicians, the public and, most importantly, other students to these issues. The fees issue was given pride of place in order to draw the attention of the student body by pointing out the possibility of an immediate financial threat.
In the University of Konstanz in Baden-Württemburg, Students’ Union representatives handed out leaflets while wearing tuxedoes and carrying slogan-bearing placards: “It’s ok – I have rich parents!” The entrance lobby to the university was festooned with slogans saying “Give your last shirt for an education!” and invitations to a sit-in in the university’s senate hall.
Students in Leipzig expressed their frustrations by staging a street protest bound together like a chain-gang with gags over their mouths, bearing placards with a similar sentiment: “Rich parents for all!” This was strongly tied up with a request for more governmental financial help for the education sector: “Money for Education instead of Education for Money!” At the Ludwig Maximillian University in Munich, students annexed one of the largest lecture halls for six weeks before agreeing to clear up and be escorted out by police. Students also took possession of lecture theatres in cities such as Potsdam, Münster, Berlin, Heidelberg and Munich.
The Europe-wide Bologna Process has come under heavy fire from German student groups. The Process was designed to bring tertiary education structures in Europe into line with one another. The main change that affected students was the separation of third-level education into graduate and post-graduate strata, with a 3-4 year Bachelor degree followed by a 1-2 year Master’s programme. While this is exactly what universities in Ireland have been doing all along, the change has come as a shock to German students, who were accustomed to the old system consisting of a 4-6 year course culminating in a Diploma or a Master’s degree.
Their main grievances with the Bologna system are that it impedes flexibility of seminar choice and pushes what had previously been five years worth of work into three years, while also being geared too narrowly towards a future career rather than offering a comprehensive general education.
The protests have also tried to draw attention to some less tangible matters. They have expressed concern over “elite universities” and the “economisation” of education.
Not all students are in agreement with the protesters: in Münster the Ring of Christian Democratic Students (RCDS) accused them of being indiscriminately critical, and a Facebook group entitled “Studieren statt Blockieren” (study instead of blockading) has amassed over 28,000 followers who wish to distance themselves from their protesting colleagues.
As for drawing political attention, it seems the protests have succeeded at the highest level – Education Minister Annette Schavan has extended an invitation to student representative organisations to attend a “Bologna summit” that is due to take place in Berlin in April. However, the Conference of Third-Level Rectors has stated unequivocally that there will be no u-turn on the introduction of the Bologna bachelor-master’s-doctorate system, and Chancellor Angela Merkel has declared her support of the Bologna reforms.
Protesting is set to resume at the end of January; although the implementation of the Bologna Process by the German government now appears to be non-negotiable, only time will tell whether German students, like Irish students, can succeed in pushing against the introduction of third-level fees nationwide.Elaine Jennings
Contributing Writer
Post-recessionary Ireland is not the only place where students fear the return of tuition fees. But while the recent student agitation in Ireland was concerned only with the possible re-introduction of fees, the students of Germany have a considerable list of grievances they wish to draw attention to. As well as pushing for the abolition of tuition fees, German student unions are trying to publicise inequality in access to education and deficiencies in the Bologna Process.
Protests took place across the country in late November and early December to draw the attention of politicians, the public and, most importantly, other students to these issues. The fees issue was given pride of place in order to draw the attention of the student body by pointing out the possibility of an immediate financial threat.
In the University of Konstanz in Baden-Württemburg, Students’ Union representatives handed out leaflets while wearing tuxedoes and carrying slogan-bearing placards: “It’s ok – I have rich parents!” The entrance lobby to the university was festooned with slogans saying “Give your last shirt for an education!” and invitations to a sit-in in the university’s senate hall.
Students in Leipzig expressed their frustrations by staging a street protest bound together like a chain-gang with gags over their mouths, bearing placards with a similar sentiment: “Rich parents for all!” This was strongly tied up with a request for more governmental financial help for the education sector: “Money for Education instead of Education for Money!” At the Ludwig Maximillian University in Munich, students annexed one of the largest lecture halls for six weeks before agreeing to clear up and be escorted out by police. Students also took possession of lecture theatres in cities such as Potsdam, Münster, Berlin, Heidelberg and Munich.
The Europe-wide Bologna Process has come under heavy fire from German student groups. The Process was designed to bring tertiary education structures in Europe into line with one another. The main change that affected students was the separation of third-level education into graduate and post-graduate strata, with a 3-4 year Bachelor degree followed by a 1-2 year Master’s programme. While this is exactly what universities in Ireland have been doing all along, the change has come as a shock to German students, who were accustomed to the old system consisting of a 4-6 year course culminating in a Diploma or a Master’s degree.
Their main grievances with the Bologna system are that it impedes flexibility of seminar choice and pushes what had previously been five years worth of work into three years, while also being geared too narrowly towards a future career rather than offering a comprehensive general education.
The protests have also tried to draw attention to some less tangible matters. They have expressed concern over “elite universities” and the “economisation” of education.
Not all students are in agreement with the protesters: in Münster the Ring of Christian Democratic Students (RCDS) accused them of being indiscriminately critical, and a Facebook group entitled “Studieren statt Blockieren” (study instead of blockading) has amassed over 28,000 followers who wish to distance themselves from their protesting colleagues.
As for drawing political attention, it seems the protests have succeeded at the highest level – Education Minister Annette Schavan has extended an invitation to student representative organisations to attend a “Bologna summit” that is due to take place in Berlin in April. However, the Conference of Third-Level Rectors has stated unequivocally that there will be no u-turn on the introduction of the Bologna bachelor-master’s-doctorate system, and Chancellor Angela Merkel has declared her support of the Bologna reforms.
Protesting is set to resume at the end of January; although the implementation of the Bologna Process by the German government now appears to be non-negotiable, only time will tell whether German students, like Irish students, can succeed in pushing against the introduction of third-level fees nationwide.