More than 4,000 municipalities chose to adopt the new school rhythms in their primary schools starting from the 2013 school year. 1.3 million children attended classes five days a week.
To establish an initial assessment of the educational contributions of the new schedules, eight inter-academic seminars were organized across France from February 28 to April 4, 2014.
The Minister of National Education, Benoรฎt Hamon, wanted to comment on the results:
“The new organization of school time in primary schools is part of the priority for primary education. It places the child at the center of reflection and is part of an educational action aimed at considering the child in his or her entirety to facilitate learning.”
These meetings brought out the best pedagogical practices observed in classrooms and demonstrated how the new rhythms could be used to improve learning.
Three main educational benefits were identified:
1. Fundamental learning is scheduled at times when students’ attention capacity is greatest.
The five regained mornings form a driving force in this dynamic. They establish regularity in the lives of children and their families and contribute to a genuine redistribution of afternoon learning.
2. The additional morning allows, thanks to reimagined timetables, more effective distribution of activities throughout the week.
The goal is to balance children’s daily routines by respecting their needs, biological rhythms, and development, while ensuring the smooth execution of activities and facilitating their organization; the focus is on optimizing students’ learning.
3. Around the new school time, a comprehensive educational project is being established for the child.
The collaboration between the National Education system and municipalities promotes the design and implementation of an educational action that considers the child’s time in its entirety.
It is unfortunate, however, that some have turned it into a political argument against the best interest of the children.
