Gabriel Attal launches a “knowledge requirement” mission, with priority on French and mathematics

He wants to make good on his promise, made at the end of August, “shock of knowledge”. In front of the François-Mitterrand library in Paris, for World Teachers’ Day, Gabriel Attal announced, Thursday October 5, the launch of a mission “knowledge requirement”. “Priority will be given to French and maths”, he clarified. The conclusions will be rendered “within eight weeks” for a “implementation at the start of the 2024 school year”. This mission will be coordinated, among others, by the general director of school education, Edouard Geffray, the president of the Scientific Council of National Education, Stanislas Dehaene, and the rector of Mayotte, Gilles Halbout.

Three groups will be formed: one for primary school, one for middle school, one for high school. There will also be, “each within them, two teachers” referents. Gabriel Attal adds that he wants to launch “a consultation of [tous les] teachers” on this subject. “A questionnaire will be sent to them” so they can “express themselves freely about their practices”he explained. “This massive comeback” will come “supply the work of the commission”.

Raising the level of students, a priority

During his back-to-school press conference on August 28, the Minister of National Education had already indicated his intention to “put the emphasis on fundamental knowledge”. He even announced some developments, such as the two daily hours devoted to learning and practicing reading in CP class and new national assessments in CM1. In a column published by The world on September 15, Gabriel Attal also had declared to want “Abolish blank texts in middle school and college learning”.

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In addition to raising the level at school, the Minister of Education recalled Thursday that he wanted “restore authority”. He promised announcements “by the end of the year” on this subject, after having banned the wearing of the abaya at school at the beginning of September. To make the teaching profession more attractive, he said he wanted to launch a job “in the coming months” with trade union organizations, to “train students after the baccalaureate”. This idea had already been outlined by Emmanuel Macron at the start of the school year.