The Bologna Protest
Ministers in suits are not alone in discussing the Bologna process in May. Committed European students join for the European Education Forum.
IT IS HAPPENING IN BERGEN: EEF co–hosts (from the left) Ragnhild Eide Skogseth, Marry–Anne Karlsen and leader of the Bergen Branch of NSU Sigrid Hagerup Melhuus, welcome Oslo students to European Education Forum in May.
European Education Forum (EEF) is left–wing and aims at creating alternatives to the commercial development within education. Time and place of the conference is not subject to chance; it is not far between the Faculty of Humanities in Bergen and Hotell Norge where the European ministers of education are gathered between the 19th and 20th of May to discuss the Bologna process.
“We are not a protest movement against Bologna. EEF is much more than that, but Bologna will obviously be topical since it is happening at the same time,” EEF co–host Marry–Anne Karlsen says.
“What is wrong with the Bologna process?”
“It is a fairly exclusive process for one. There has not been much debate on it. The second point is the consequence of the process, which is increased competition within education. The social dimension in relation to internationalisation is also absent. Internationalisation is a good thing. However, it is important to take social and cultural factors into account,” she explains.
Left–Wing Nonsense
40 different organisations within the educational sector have joined EEF` s call, among them the Bergen Branch of Norsk Studentunion (NSU), the national union of students in Norway. But leader Sigrid Hagerup Melhuus wants larger commitment from student politicians outside Bergen.
“When I suggested before the Annual Meeting that NSU should join the call, my motion was rejected by a representative from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and labelled left–wing nonsense, and thus denied a debate on the topic,” she explains.
Would Like to Be Present
Leader of NSU, Jørn Henriksen, says it is up to the Annual Meeting to decide topics of discussion. However, he is not very pleased with the choice of words.
“I can see why the Bergen Branch of NSU is disappointed. A lot of people say entertaining things during the Annual Meeting, but I do not think that we should reject EEF in such a manner,” he says.
“Do you want NSU to join the call?”
“This is a very extensive call. Not only two sentences, you know! We might join, but that is pending a central decision from NSU,” Henriksen says, who would like to be present at the conference if wanted.
Rejects Criticism
Vice–chair of the Bologna Follow Up Group, Jan Levy, rejects Marry–Anne Karlsen` s claim that the Bologna process is exclusive and modestly debated.
“Various student organisations as well as university and college organisations are connected to the process. This has never been or is a governmental process behind closed doors,” Levy explains.
“Does the Bologna process lead to increased competition within education?”
“It is, in many ways, an answer to increased competition and aims to better the quality of higher education in Europe. It is a common fact that American universities dominate various listings,” Levy says.
Furthermore, he disagrees that social and cultural dimensions are ignored.
“The social dimension is something that has just been under discussion. Otherwise, we preserve the cultural dimension by emphasising the cultural diversity of Europe. We have no intention of streamlining the contents of educational systems in the various countries. However, we feel that diversity is a better offer to students.”
