Free access to universities a chimera

With an eye to the most recent student protests in Austria the daily Der Kurier calls on the government to take a clear stand: "Those in power cannot continue to muddle through on this issue, they must state their position. If they want everyone to be able to study what they want, they will have to cough up the necessary money. Since they don't have it, other tactics are required: limited access (to massively attended subjects) and/or fees (with grants for the needy). The [conservative] Austrian People's Party has no problems with this, but the Social Democratic Party of Austria can't go along with it for ideological reasons. Since [Bruno] Kreisky [Austrian Chancellor from 1970 - 1983] it has stood staunchly for free access to university. That sounds all very well and good, but it's a chimera. Social selection doesn't take place with access to universities, but long beforehand. And fewer workers' children complete their university studies in Austria than in England, where there are fees and other obstacles to entry."

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