Americans regularly express concern about our educational system. We wonder why things don't change if all these complaints we hear are accurate. The reason things don't change may be that the complaints aren't threatening.

Italy's universities have been lacking financial aid, have problems of overcrowded dorms and classrooms. They all desperately need a change for the better and have for years.. Just recently the students who attend these universities got fed up, and decided to protest. Previously the reason nothing improved was because there was no threatening voice of protest.

The students fear industry taking a predominant role in the running of the universities. This would assure the science and engineering departments to be very well financed and the liberal arts to be thrown by the wayside. Student laboratory researchers have joined the protests realizing that they will lose their independence and become mere tools of industry.

These large protests (causing 66% of students to drop out) are worrying members of the Italian government, and will force a change to take place. Officials see how the university system is going to cause the country's next generation to be considerably behind other nations educationally.

American students have the power to pressure the American officials (just as the Italian students used their power to get international attention and the support of some political officials) in order to change what is wrong and weak in our country's educational system. n