Like the national assessments of fourth grade students, the OECD Pisa report, published Tuesday, points to a decline in the level of young French people, particularly in mathematics.
He wishes “A real electroshock.” Just a few hours after the publication of the OECD Pisa survey, which shows a decline “historical” of the level of French 15-year-old students in mathematics, and hardly better results in reading comprehension, Gabriel Attal detailed a set of measures, Tuesday, December 5, from a college in Paris. The Minister of National Education had already listed them in an email sent to teachers in the morning, which franceinfo was able to consult. Gabriel Attal launched a mission at the beginning of October “requirement of knowledge”, to realize the priority he wishes to give to fundamental knowledge. Here is what to remember from the ideas chosen by the government.
Easy repetition
The announcement was expected and could spark controversy. Gabriel Attal affirms that he will publish, in the first quarter of 2024, a decree allowing the teaching team, and no longer the families, to have the last word on whether the student repeats a year. The Minister of Education had already mentioned at the end of November his desire to “revisit the taboo of repeating a grade”. It also provides that teachers can prescribe successful courses to certain students during the holidays, which would be a condition for moving to the next class.
The removal of the “academic correction” from exam grades
Gabriel Attal also wishes, from the 2024 patent and baccalaureate session, to remove the “academic correction”: today, a jury made up of several professors is meeting to compare the correction of the different copies, and modify certain notations which would differ too average. By putting an end to this system, only the marks awarded by the corrector of the copy will count for whether or not the diploma is awarded.
A focus on primary school
Because educational inequalities are widening from primary school, the Minister of Education wants to continue the work carried out since 2017 with the doubling of CP and CE1 classes in priority education zones. He also announced the overhaul of programs from kindergarten to CE2 starting in September. Gabriel Attal promises a “simplification” and an “clarification” of their content, a reduced volume and the integration “annual objectives appearing in various scattered guides”.
Labeling of school textbooks
Another flagship measure: the labeling of primary school textbooks, to distinguish works that meet certain requirements set by National Education. “So many studies say it: textbooks play a key role”writes Gabriel Attal in his message to teachers. “Gold, 60% of students do not benefit from it in CP. To strengthen the chances of success throughout the territory, and even if it is a responsibility of local authorities, the State will now finance school textbooks in reading and mathematics for CP and CE1 students.he announces, ensuring that this funding will be offered for the start of the 2024 school year.
Level groups in middle school
Already mentioned by Gabriel Attal, the creation of level groups within middle school classes, for French and mathematics, is now in place. “As of the next school year, 6th and 5th grade students will be divided into three groups for their lessons in these subjects. These groups will be flexible and their size adapted: job creation will make it possible to limit the group of students most in difficulty for around fifteen students”, he promised. This organization must extend to 4th and 3rd grade classes at the start of the 2025 school year.
For middle school students in greatest difficulty, a “arranged schooling” will be considered. “The hourly volume of these disciplines could be significantly increased, with a temporary reduction in courses in other disciplines,” explained Gabriel Attal.
Patent reform
The Minister of Education also announced the evolution of the national patent diploma from the 2025 session. “First, the continuous assessment grade will be calculated from the average of the disciplinary grades that you award to the students, and no longer by the ‘skills’ converted into points. Then, the final exams will represent 60% of the final grade , instead of 50% today. Finally, the certificate diploma will condition direct access to high school”, he listed. Those who do not obtain the diploma will have to go through a class “high school prep” to catch up.
Artificial intelligence in high school
More unexpectedly, the Minister of Education announced that he wanted to focus on artificial intelligence in high schools. “All students entering high school will now be accompanied, at home, by an AI tool for remediation or improvement in French and mathematics,” writes Gabriel Attal, explaining that this software, “built with researchers and teachers”, would be made available free of charge to 200,000 second-year students in the coming months, before being generalized to all in September.
Adjustments to the vocational high school reform
At the vocational high school, Gabriel Attal slightly adjusts the reform led by delegate minister Carole Grandjean. “As of the next school year, we have decided to significantly increase the number of hours of general teaching in the final professional year. In addition, mathematics and French lessons in the second and first professional year will take place in small groups”he detailed.
For mathematics, a new method and an anticipated baccalaureate test
While Pisa results in mathematics are mediocre for French students, the Minister of Education insisted on this subject. “From the next school year, the revision of primary school programs will allow us to gradually adopt the Singapore method”he explains, “anticipating, for example, the learning of fractions and decimal numbers from CE1 class”. Gabriel Attal says to himself “convinced” that middle school level groups will also help “to redress the situation”.
In high school, he finally announces “that from the 2025-2026 school year, a new anticipated baccalaureate test, at the end of the general and technological first year, will be dedicated to mathematics and scientific culture, for all of our students”, as is already the case for French.