German industry in new fees push

Undaunted by the government's and rectors' hostility to tuition fees, German industry has again come up with a proposal that students pay for higher education.

Governments at state and federal level are organising joint consultations for the preparation of an amendment of the country's Higher Education Framework Law. But the Federal Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA) has now compiled its own proposals for a new framework in collaboration with other industrial organisations.

One of the demands is that students should pay a tuition fee of roughly DM3,000 (Pounds 1,070) a year. Also, study time should be drastically shortened to a maximum four and a half years, and institutions should be able to pick their students.

Germany's rectors spoke out overwhelmingly against fees in a meeting in Berlin last year.

While Federal education minister Jurgen Ruttgers welcomes most of the BDA proposals, he has once again rejected tuition fees.