The Minister of Education Pap Ndiaye was the guest of 8:30 am Friday morning on franceinfo, the day after the presentation of the reform of vocational high schools. He answered questions from Jules de Kiss and Hadrien Bect.
Vocational high schools must “respond to the needs of the economy”, says Minister of Education Pap Ndiaye, the day after the presentation of the reform of vocational high schools. He also calls on high school students to go to class until the “last day” of the year, and finally affirms that there is no “taboo” on the question of artificial intelligence in class.
Vocational high school reform: “80 sectors” will close
In September, “80 dies“will close and”150 other sectors“will open “in the 2,100 vocational high schools in France to better match employment areas”, says Pap Ndiaye. Emmanuel Macron presented Thursday the reform of the vocational high school to fight against school dropout. Of the 600,000 high school students concerned by this sector, a third of high school students will not reach the baccalaureate. “We cannot be satisfied with the current situation. It is absolutely necessary that, at the end of his professional baccalaureate, one can fit into the job market“, said the minister. “There are sectors that no longer correspond to the job market. It is therefore necessary to close sectors, especially in the tertiary sector“, he explains. The teachers of the removed courses “can move on to teaching in schools. A number of them choose it“, he says. But they can also direct themselves “to colleges“.
Absenteeism in the final year: the minister recalls “the obligation to go to class”
Pap Ndiaye reminded the graduates “the obligation to go to class from the first to the last day“, while some graduates assured of having their baccalaureate in their pocket after the specialty tests which took place in March have decided to desert the benches of the high school. “I still remember that school is not optional and it is not a choice“, he said. The minister warned high school students. “It’s a bad calculation“, he says. He recalls that Parcoursup “takes into account the results of the third quarter” for students who did not obtain their initial choices in the first phase.
Mixed schools: “a lot to do” in the public
“In public education there is a lot to do because there are problems of obvious social and academic segregation“, indicated the Minister of Education. According to him, it is necessary to “promote social and school diversity“. Regarding private establishments, “it is necessary to ensure both the social mix“, but also “mixed school“, he says, referring to “students who are diverse in their profile“.
Bike plan: “Generalize” learning in primary school
While the government will present its biking plan of two billion euros by 2027 on Friday, the minister indicated that learning to ride a bike will be generalized in primary school: “Since 2019, we have first trained 200,000 students in cycling skills, students between the ages of six and 11. The idea is to generalize this“, he says.
Artificial intelligence: “There is no taboo”
“There is no taboo“on Artificial Intelligence, according to Pap Ndiaye,”but be careful not to think that it can replace the teachers” And “also be careful that students do not use Artificial Intelligence to do their work“, he warned, explaining that he is “very easy for the teacher to spot that it is not the student who has made” a dissertation.
Franco-Italian estrangement: no “apologies” to “provide”
“I don’t think we have to make excuses“to Italy,” said the Minister of Education, as tensions have arisen in recent days between France and Italy over the management of migratory flows. Gérald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior, criticized the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, “unable“, according to him, “to resolve migration issues” from his country. “There are obviously adjustments to be made between France and Italy on these issues.“, recognizes Pap Ndiaye. Rather than an apology, “ona rather to renew the threads of a serene dialogue“, he says.
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