Rector Emmanuel Ethis presented the new features of the 2017-8 school year, a first for the new Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, a minister considered “technical” with training and a background in the field.
After the forward leaps of various heads of this ministry during the “Hollande” presidency, the fever for reform has subsided, with goals returning to the “classic”: doing better by making the most of past experiences and not shaking the… pachyderm too much.
With the brilliant eloquence he is known for, leading the presentation and discussions surrounded by his collaborators, Emmanuel Ethis showed optimism: the 191,588 pupils in the Alpes-Maritimes (+1206 compared to the start of the 2016 school year) will be placed in the best conditions for success.
The key concepts, the school of excellence and the school of trust, aim to express this mindset.
To best express them, we can only reiterate the official word of Rector Ethis: “Our missions to educate, instruct, and train, to share and defend the values of the Republic, must converge to build together a school of trust, at the service of our youth and our region. It will ensure the success of every student, while maintaining constant attention to the most vulnerable.”
Everything is said.
Some measures that represent novelty and will be implemented at the start:
the repetition of classes (of 12 students) as part of the 100% success project in CP (primary school level; acquisition of fundamental skills) through priority or strengthened education networks: in the Alpes-Maritimes, 16 schools concerned, 31 classes, 737 students.
The massive return to a 4-day school week. The Ministry opted for a flexible solution, whereby each entity could organize as they see fit, and almost all the municipalities in the department chose to revert to the previous situation. It’s unnecessary to recall that Christian Estrosi was one of the most vehement “rebels” against this reform, which was admittedly conceived and implemented through improvisation.
Indeed, the joint interests of teachers and their unions, parents and their associations, and the economic interests of all associations involved in extracurricular activities as their professional activity and source of income have prevailed over this measure, which, however, cannot be contested on educational grounds: one does not need to be a super-expert in cognitive science to know that learning is more effective when well-rested, that is, in the morning!
Another aspect worth highlighting is the possibility of doing homework within the school environment with the help of specialized personnel. This experience provides significant support to students whose family organization is deficient in terms of logistics (reception, supervision) and, above all, intellectually.
Finally, the reform of colleges that had caused much debate has been partially unraveled, with the return of the teaching of classical languages (Greek and Latin), emblematic for understanding the origins of our culture and modern languages: 19 bilingual English-German classes and 36 bilingual English-Italian classes will be active in the department’s establishments.
Teaching teams will also be able to set up cultural and artistic experiments.
As you can see, the system is well-oiled, and all conditions are met for a profitable school year.
Next Monday… everyone’s back to class!
