French Education : a necessary reform ?

Lucile has presented the last week a controversial article about the French educational system. France is seen on the other side of the English channel as on old-fashioned system which is not adapted to the social reality : the results are going down, a huge percentage of students leave school without scholar basis and without job. Moreover, France is especially criticized for its meritocratic performances, whereas the technics of teaching are largely catastrophic : a lack of self-confidence among the students who are worried about each difficulty they can be confronted to, and other psychological troubles.

So, according to the author of this article, French system has to turn into a modern one, giving the "perfect example of the United States system".

Of course, this point of view aroused numerous controversies during the lesson : someone gave the example of the British education which is not a perfect one. Families have the choice between expensive public schools or state schools near to their home but less efficient. Consequently, social inequalities are still existing and reinforced between the poorests and the richests.

Moreover, according to some students, the French system is not so bad, because discipline demand encourage people to work harder. Later, discipline is a question of respect, and it prevents students from chatting and being disturbing by the others.

To my mind, it is really hard to compare two systems radically opposed, as the author of this article tries to do : while the Anglo-Saxon education is more based on empiric reality, the French one concentrates its attention on a huge amount of knowledge.

In fact, the US education is not idyllic at all : inscription fees are crazily expensive, laws have dangerously reinforced the opwer of charter schools, and the inequalities are increasing.

But it is also true that France has to reform its education : 1/5 of the 11-years old kids finish their primary school with serious difficulties of reading and writing. Moreover, we cannot forget that many students experiment grade repetition, which does not really help them to perform better. But some efforts are realized in France to improve on this subject : the first step is the government's decision to make easier the access to famous schools like Sciences Po, a great democratization of our schools of elite. Because contrary to what could be said, the majority of French schools are public, representing the strengh of our system.

French educational system is also put in question on its lack of artistic promotion at school. So, some schools experiment for the first time the US system : lessons during the morning and artistic activities on the afternoon. And if this experience is successful, it could be extended to the whole country. Therefore, the government has to fight against Conservative followers to change our traditions.

Maybe we just have to wait and see what could be proposed next.