a system already in force abroad, from Hong Kong to the Netherlands via Switzerland

Gabriel Attal decided on Wednesday March 13: there will be level groups for sixth and fifth grade students for mathematics and French. The Prime Minister wants these small groups to become “Rule”and that the entire classes are “the exception”. A practice that exists in many countries, according to the latest report from the Program for International Student Assessment (Pisa).

Level groups within the same class for 48% of students in developed countries

There are two ways to organize these level groups. The first is within classes themselves, as in Hong Kong, the Netherlands, New Zealand or the United Arab Emirates. There, students are divided into small groups, according to their level, but remain in the same class. This concerns 48% of students in developed countries. A very common practice in schools which welcome students from disadvantaged backgrounds, according to the OECD.

Second scenario: the students are distributed according to their level but in different classes. This model resembles what Gabriel Attal wants to implement in France. This principle exists in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and even Singapore. Some cantons in Switzerland set up, more than 30 years ago, a distribution system based on difficulties by subject. From the age of 12, a student will, for example, follow intermediate level French courses but participate in advanced level mathematics courses.

These provisions can operate under certain very specific conditions, according to the latest Pisa report. When students are divided into levels for only a few subjects, their results can improve. This is what has been observed in mathematics, for example. On the other hand, if the level groups are generalized to all subjects, their performance drops.