French elite schools known as grandes ecoles are being ordered by President Nicolas Sarkozy to reserve 30% of new admissions places for poor students, many of whom are immigrants.  The schools have refused to adhere to this new policy of taking in more low-income students on the basis that it would lead to an unavoidable drop in academic quality.  The broadening of admissions to these elite schools – which produce leaders in politics and industry – is seen by the government as equal opportunity but is seen by the schools as an admissions quota.   The Ministry met its prior goal of carving out 30% of places in entrance exam prep classes for poor students, and now the President wants to go a step further by having elite schools reserve nearly 1/3 of their first-year seats for low-income students on scholarship.

http://www.france24.com/en/20100106-french-elite-schools-under-fire