“These private schools are leading students into dead ends”: the cry of alarm from two academics from Montpellier calling for stricter controls in the face of these abuses.

The alarming rise of certain for-profit private schools

is at the heart of a heated debate in Montpellier. At the forefront of this concern are Jean-Michel Marin and Lionel Torres, two influential figures in the academic world, who have been tirelessly calling for stricter regulation of these institutions. With Parcoursup (the French national university admissions platform) having just opened its doors, they are highlighting the risks of educational dead ends for many students and calling for a rigorous evaluation of the programs offered by these private institutions.

“These private schools are leading students into dead ends,” say Jean-Michel Marin and Lionel Torres, respectively director of the Faculty of Sciences and Polytech Montpellier, who express deep concern about the proliferation of for-profit private schools. According to them, these institutions attract students seeking quality degrees by offering expensive programs that promise to rival the excellence of equally renowned public universities. But behind the scenes, the reality is far less rosy. The alarming excesses of for-profit private institutions

Since the adoption of the 2012 law allowing private organizations to receive funding for education, the educational landscape has changed. These institutions attract students with dazzling promises based solely on skillful communication. Marin and Torres point out that these entities often lack the necessary accreditation to award bachelor’s or master’s degrees, thus creating false hopes for young people. Degrees or dead ends: what future awaits students?

Many students complete their studies at these schools without obtaining the prestigious diploma they envisioned. Employers, for their part, clearly distinguish between certificate programs and degree programs, which significantly impacts the employability of young graduates from these private systems. Returning to university: a possible way back

To address these setbacks, universities in Montpellier are implementing skills validation systems, allowing students who have completed these programs to reintegrate into the university system. However, too many young people find themselves in situations where their high grades do not reflect their true mastery, sometimes creating insurmountable obstacles to admission to university master’s programs.

An urgent call for regulation

The repeated appeals from Marin and Torres have resonated with the Ministry of Education, which is considering stricter legislation. The goal is to guarantee transparency and certify the quality of the training offered by these institutions. They are urging the swift enactment of this future law to close the loopholes that allow public funds to flow to unauthorized private institutions.

These academics argue that claiming to offer training equivalent to a master’s degree not only disadvantages students but also wastes resources that could be better used to advance public education and research.