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Show Paris Students Want Attendance Salary PARIS (CPS) French college col-lege students have begun a drive to gain adoption of a national nat-ional system of salaries for all persons pursuing regular university uni-versity studies. THE DRIVE is expected to culminate in a debate this spring when a Socialist-supported bill will be brought before the National Nat-ional Assembly. The National Union of Students, Stu-dents, France's largest student organization, is calling for a monthly salary of 450 francs about $90.) to be paid to every student taking courses toward a degree. THE NATIONAL Union thinks students should be paid to continue con-tinue their education because their studies constitute "an apprenticeship ap-prenticeship off the ( country's social and economic life." Student Stu-dent work represents an investment invest-ment by the nation, they continue. con-tinue. The salary system, they argue, would help to democratize French higher eduation, where sons of industrial workers and farmers seldom continue their studies. AN EXTENSIVE system of scholarships exists, but the students stu-dents claim that it is cumbersome cumber-some and discriminatory. Presently Pres-ently about one-fifth of France's 350,000 college students are getting get-ting some official help. There is also a limited system of in-training salaries for certain students in teachers colleges who sign contracts to join the teachers' corps after graduation. THE COST of the proposed system sy-stem is estimated at $340 million mil-lion a year, but the students contend that half this sum could be made up by eliminating eliminat-ing scholarships, tax exemptions and family allowances for parents par-ents of college students, and subsidies for student restaurants restaur-ants and dormitories. Official reaction to the proposal pro-posal has been cool. EDUCATION officials said they recognized the need to widen wi-den educational opportunities, but as a result of long conflict with French students over one demand or another, officials tend to think the latest idea is demagogic. At the present time officials are thinking in terms of improving improv-ing the scholarship system and the Parliamentary debate this spring is expected to result in a clash between supporters of scholarships and advocates of salaries. |