What the Bosses Said

The Grande Ecole debate rages on and on. Sarkozy spoke to the 'Monde de l'education et de la Recherche' the other day and repeated his view that grande écoles should have a more socially diverse intake. Rather than insist on quotas, he supports the system, already in place in some schools, of parallel admission procedures to enable those who distinguish themselves elsewhere to use that experience to support their application.

Le Figaro interviewed six top bosses from grande écoles and asked them what they thought about increasing social diversity, quotas, grant-assisted places and their fears that interfering with the system might devalue the final diploma.

For some, the problem of discrimination is not the fault of the grande écoles but one further up the system. Claude Bébéar (AXA) believes that a system of tutoring from primary level should be re-established and that children should be properly coached on their career prospects. Many kids dismiss the idea of applying for the top schools simply because they are not sufficiently encouraged and don't consider studying post-Bac for so many years.

Pierre Mongin (RATP) believes that businesses can help integrate a more socially diverse selection of students. At RATP, there is a Foundation partnered with HEC and l'université de Cergy-Pontoise which facilitates access to a certain number of talented students. RATP also offers sandwich possibilities to help students pay for their studies alternating work with studying, and the experience gained is, of course, greatly appreciated by employers.

Henri Lachmann (Schneider Electric) presides over the Télémaque Foundation which helps kids from the ZEP (zones d'éducation prioritaires) get into the best lycées and accompanies them until the Bac. He believes that, rather than grants, students should take out special loans to be paid back over 5 years after the end of their studies. Universities, he says, aren't better because selection is achieved too often through failure (to get in somewhere else).

Mercedes Erra (groupe Euro RSCG) is another who believes that schools are failing in helping more kids gain access to the best schools and says that if tutoring becomes more important in achieving success than schooling then the social elevator (ascenseur social) has broken down. She's all for parallel admissions.

Jacques Attali (PlaNet Finance) believes that grant-assisted quotas are a short-term necessary evil, and that parallel admissions between institutions are a good idea. He also thinks that ZEP areas should have their own private schools and classes prépas, and that universities often let their students down by a lack of supervision.

Stéphane Richard (France Télécom) believes that quotas are also a necessary evil. Business, he says, should reflect society and it's clients so it should diversify its recrutement at every level. It's a question of good business and social responsibility.

Most are highly critical of l'education national because, since the sixties, it's been gradually ruined by destructive liberal lefty reforms. That, more than anything else, has brought about such social disparity. Sound familiar?!

Ground Air France

Were you thinking of flying into or out of France this summer? If you are, I would advise you either not to fly at the weekend, or use a company that is NOT Air France.

Just for a change, we are to endure yet another strike. This time it's the pilots and they plan to do this on the weekends between 10 July to 3 August. Mind you, they've only indicated that they intend to strike. If their demands are met in the next two months, they may deign to withdraw the threat.

What demands? you may ask. More pay, better security, fewer hours, longer tea-break, higher overnight stay standards, 'personal assistant' at every airport, nicer luggage, comfier seats? No, none of that. Well, they are very well paid and have already taken much action for the hours they work so it's neither of those sticky issues.

No, what they want is to have a specific union representation. Yes, you read that right. According to new rules, unions have to represent 10% of total employees, but the pilots only make up 5% of Air France, so they will no longer have their own voice.

I can understand that this is a major blow and should be rectified somehow, but threatening to sabotage the vacation time of blameless passengers is NOT the way to do it. I hardly think many passengers will be sympathetic to their demands, either. If they were striking their way out of filthy mucky working conditions or 5-min tea breaks or crappy airline luggage or unattractive cabin staff one could understand it.

But more union power? I don't think so!

I am not too worried as I hardly ever travel on Air France, and certainly not to the UK. I always take Eurostar and SNCF. By the way, did you know that you can reserve Eurostar tickets on the SNCF website now, at 3 months in advance too? Well played both companies for getting their act together and making passenger bookings and thus lives easier.

I used to have to wait to make the Eurostar reservations which were only open 2 months in advance and so lose out on the cheapest SNCF tickets which came on sale 3 months in advance. This year I've saved 100Eurs on summer transport tickets. Am I happy? You bet!

So beware Air France this summer, and if it's not them, it'll be the air traffic controllers and if it's not them it'll be the baggage handlers and if it's not them it'll be the ground staff. In fact, it's a brave person who opts to fly in July and August; one who enjoys living on the edge in a high-risk environment. It's a bit too much for me. I'm all for a quiet life, a low carbon-footprint and more than 15kg of luggage.

Fingers crossed that SNCF don't let me down...

MMA from AF

I had a Mother's Moment of Anguish this evening. It's the first weekend of the month when the boys go to see their father. Until now, he's been coming down from Paris on the train, and taking them back, then doing the reverse journey on the Sunday.

This weekend, however, they had to go up on the plane under the Air France accompanied children scheme. It all went like clockwork except that I don't know my ex's address and had to ask my eldest. Luckily he knew it or I'd have been obliged to ring my ex to ask. It's needed to identify the person who collects them at the other end. Once that little form had been filled in, the boys were given a blue plastic folder to go round their necks containing their passports and tickets.

We then went up to customs and waited for the AF person in charge to take them through. My MMA happened as they went through and were taken off to board the aircraft WITHOUT ME. This has never happened before, of course, and it was strangely upsetting seeing them go off into the waiting area perhaps never to be seen again... The plane didn't crash - my ex was kind enough to call to let me know they'd arrived safely. Ouf!

You'll be totally unsurprised to know that there were another 8 children flying alone (accompanied). Divorce oblige. From the age of 12 they don't need to be accompanied and there were another 3 at least who were flying all alone. Very blasé they looked about it too. I was impressed with these mini jet-setters.

I am hoping to do some good work on my book this weekend - no gallivanting, no blokies, no going out on the town. Those opportunities usually come up on weekends with the boys, such is life. I'm not even sure one can still get to the beach either. As it's being re-sanded, there are barriers up everywhere, so marching along by the sea is out too. I'll be writing instead with impunity, you'll see!