School Life: no more grades, less supervision

Absenteeism, violence and frequency of participation should be the grading criteria for this new subject. And while the grade in question could lower the averages of poor students, it would also help struggling students improve and get ahead thanks to their good conduct. 2 days after the start of the school year, an investigation into the reactions of the administration, teaching staff and students at a Nice secondary school.

First surprise: the main stakeholders don’t seem very well informed about the new reform. While some secondary school students may have happened to catch a few snippets of reports on television, most are unaware of the existence of this school conduct grade. Even more worrying: the teaching teams are in the same situation. Only the principal of the school ventured to paraphrase the previous day’s newspaper; he himself is still awaiting instructions from the Academy rectorate. “Of course I’ve heard about it like everyone else but I would be unable to explain how it works,” he admits. In short; while all the media have already seized on the subject, the plan has still not been transmitted to the main actors. “In the turmoil of the school year, it is normal that teaching teams have other things to think about. Within a month, all students will know what this school conduct grade is,” explains Colette Ronier, director of the office of the Rector of Nice, who nonetheless assures that the reform is already being particularly well received by teachers, students and parents. “This should allow secondary school students to become aware of how important their classroom behavior is. Moreover, parents will be able, by following the evolution of this average, to become more involved in their child’s school life.”

The system of exact grading (scale, coefficient…) remains unclear and raises a question: Won’t this average push down even further the students who are naturally put off by schooling? Impossible, for now, to judge. Pending the first results, some teachers are already striking at the Maurice Jaubert secondary school in Nice and tirelessly denounce the lack of staff and the shameful elimination of many teaching positions in France. While the education reform apparently constitutes a real step forward, it is to be hoped that the media do not forget in the process the difficulties facing our schools.

For more information:
official bulletin of the Ministry of National Education