Study Hard for a Career and Get Ahead? Education’s Promise Is Not What It Used to Be
Students Take to the Streets
Students have often been prominent in protest movements, including campaigns over war, climate change and racial inequality. This fall, demonstrations in India and France have also reflected frustration with education and what it can deliver.
The protests have shaken both countries, with students challenging the belief that schooling reliably creates opportunities for a new generation. The unrest suggests that the expected link between education and advancement is weakening.
France’s Promise Falters
In poor suburbs outside Paris, students began protesting the poor condition of school buildings, an opaque university admissions process and teachers who were absent. The demonstrations later spread across France.
In some cities, protests escalated into rioting. French education had traditionally been seen as a social elevator, but students’ complaints pointed to a system they felt was no longer fulfilling that role.
The Meritocratic Bargain
The idea that education can advance people is central to the political compact in many countries. Its premise is that a fair society rewards merit, and that educational achievement can demonstrate merit.
Because education is meant to be accessible to all and to provide valuable skills, it is often treated as a route to greater social and economic standing. The protests in India and France raise questions about whether that bargain remains credible.
Key points
- Students in India and France have protested the broken promises of education.
- French demonstrations began over school conditions, admissions and absent teachers.
- The unrest challenges education’s role as a path to advancement.
- The meritocratic bargain links educational achievement with social and economic opportunity.