ABSTRACT
There is much agreement among the main political parties of France in their analyses of the need for reform and of the obstacles in its way. All parties would agree that Parliament had effected no significant reforms before 1959 despite the recognition of immense demographic pressures as the birth-rate grew, economic pressure as the agricultural sector shrank and employment in tertiary services expanded, and social pressures as people demanded more education for their children. All parties were convinced too of the need for democratization of the hierarchical educational systems. Full-time education until the age of eighteen was set as a target, with a much larger place demanded for technical studies. The social classes of the nation were, it was claimed, reflected in inverse proportions in the universities. The structure of the education system must be adapted to the social structures.
