Internationalization

Internationalizing France: Bologna Process, Laïcité & Islam

Slide15“The Bologna declaration aims at a certain degree of convergence and unification of the European higher education systems. The signatories have committed themselves to coordinate their higher education policies in order to increase the international competitivity of the European system of higher education, enhance cooperation between universities in order to help them to develop their potential and thus achieve substantial economies, favour student mobility and improve access to various kinds of study programmes. Hence, they decided to adopt a common architecture of courses and degrees that would make these more understandable and comparable at the international level by using the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), organising courses in semesters, and adopting the ‘diploma supplement” (Malan, 2004, p. 289).  “The Bologna Process does not aim to harmonise national educational systems but rather to provide tools to connect them. The intention is to allow the Slide16diversity of national systems and universities to be maintained while the European Higher Education Area improves transparency between higher education systems, as well as implements tools to facilitate recognition of degrees and academic qualifications, mobility, and exchanges between institutions” (EUA, 2013 p.1)

Today, 46 countries have chosen to engaging in the Bologna Process across Europe.  The Bologna Process reforms that have affected France the most have been the “LMD Reforms.” As a part of standardizing European education models and connecting them with each other and with American models, the LMD or License-Master-Doctorat model for higher education levels has been adopted in France.  These levels are equivalent to Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees in American systems (EUA, 2013).

 

Charte de la Laïcité

Increasing migration to France from Africa and the Middle East is challenging notions of French national identity. French national identity, still in varying degrees of conflict with its own European Catholic  and secular heritage, has been challenged further by the increasing numbers of residents and citizens of non-European ethnicity who practice Islam.  Today, nearly 7% of people in France identify as Muslim (Gutek, 2006).

In 2004, the French government passed the “Application of the Principle of Secularity” law, which banned all ‘ostentatious religious symbols’ in schools from primary school to high school. This includes Muslim hijab, Jewish kippah, large Christian crosses, etc. While this law is ostensibly to ensure equity, and make sure that no one is discriminated against at school based on their religion, it affects the Muslim minority more heavily than other religious groups (ldriss, 2006). Many groups including Human Rights Watch consider this policy a violation of freedom of religion. They fear that it will cause Muslim parents to pull their girls out of schools, thus marginalizing them, the opposite of the stated intention of the law (Human Rights Watch, 2004). Furthermore, “the impression portrayed is that France is not overly concerned with protecting the rights of ethnic minorities because the enactment demonstrates a level of intolerance against Muslims and, symbolically, of their rejection by France” (ldriss, 2006).

A further affirmation of ongoing national debate on identity has been the the new requirement by the Minister of Education that each classroom must post the Ministry’s new poster entitled “Chart of Laïcité at School: The Nation Confides to the School the Mission of Sharing with the Students the Values of the Republic”. In 15 colorful paragraphs it shares its core values based message, “The Republic is laïque. School is laïque” (Ministère éducation nationale, 2013).

 

French Cartoon Reflections on Laïcité at School

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