It was a campaign promise from Emmanuel Macron, the reform of the vocational school is presented Thursday by the Head of State and three ministers in Charente-Maritime. franceinfo takes stock of the planned announcements.
The reform of the professional high school is presented Thursday, May 4 by Emmanuel Macron, during a visit to the Bernard-Palissy high school in Saintes, in Charente-Maritime, alongside the Ministers of National Education Pap Ndiaye, Labor Olivier Dussopt and Vocational Education Carole Grandjean. In a column on Wednesday on social networks, the Head of State indicated the philosophy of his announcement: to make the professional sector a way of the future. Promised during the 2022 presidential campaign, this reform has since the start of consultations crystallized strong opposition.
While one in three high school students is educated in this professional path, the Elysée and the Ministry of National Education have clarified to franceinfo how they want to better connect high school to the business world.
>> Vocational high school reform: follow Emmanuel Macron’s announcements
Modification of the training offer
The idea is to create new sectors, in promising sectors, such as digital, or ecology, but it is also a question of eliminating those which offer the least opportunities: in management or secretarial work for example. It is necessary to better take into account the needs of companies, affirms the Elysée, to adapt to the basins of employment, to privilege here the trades of the automobile, elsewhere those of the railway, or the construction. This means that there will be no list of training courses, drawn up in Paris, the same for the whole country.
The unions of teachers of vocational high schools point to the risk of “training for employment”, contrary to their objective of training young citizens, with a sufficient general culture.
Extension of controversial internships
What has also been very controversial is the track of Emmanuel Macron who was at the start to extend these periods in companies by 50%. But the figure was challenged after the minister delegate in charge of the file, Carole Grandjean, had noted the strong opposition. The teachers’ representatives saw it as an easy solution, to offer cheap labor for jobs deserted by more qualified workers. From now on, the idea is to modulate the courses according to the course and the student’s project.
High school students paid during their internship
What will also change for high school students, very concretely, is that they will receive a little money during their period in business. Today there is no obligation. This gratuity will be financed by the State. According to information from France Inter, it will be 50 to 100 euros per week.
Finally, the objective is to fight against school dropout. There is a big project on this subject: two thirds of high school dropouts come from the professional path. For example, it is a question of organizing more courses in half-groups.
An envelope of one billion euros per year
The additional missions of the teachers, within the framework of the Pact proposed by Pap Ndiaye will be specified: additional work, in exchange for a bonus.
For this reform, one billion euros per year is put on the table. It will apply in several stages: gratification during the internships, the opening and closing of new training courses, from the start of the next school year. But other projects, a little more complex, will be implemented later.