Transparency. Say everything, show everything, hide nothing. Hervé Beauvais, the principal of College de la Rostagne in Juan-les-Pins, adopts this philosophy for managing his institution. As the head of the institution for four years, this former technology teacher became a principal to implement projects and benefit the largest number of people. This back-to-school Monday, despite the gloomy weather over Juan, he is happy to welcome his 410 students distributed in fifteen classes and a remedial class for struggling students. The institution, built in 1968, will move to a larger and more modern structure in 2009, a location where students will have less distance to travel for studying.
“On the morning of the new school year, it’s out of the question to think: another year, just like that. I’m far from ticking off the years to get closer to the end as quickly as possible. Instead, I ask myself: how will I best achieve the success objective I set for each student? That’s idealistic, but it’s my ambition,” explains Hervé Beauvais. With transparency, he opens his doors to the media. He frequently accepts to answer journalists’ questions and expresses himself with ease, without getting carried away, sharing some dissenting opinions. Complaining is out of the question for him: “We do the best with the resources we’re given. We only have the nurse in the afternoons, the social worker only on Mondays. That’s how it is. We adapt. Operation has a cost. Even though I’m the principal, I must not forget that I am also a taxpayer.” He supports the implementation of the school life grade: “It’s great for students who struggle but are serious and diligent. A good school life grade rewards their attitude.” The principle of his transparency philosophy is based on a keen sense of pedagogy: “Everything must be explained,” he insists, “to make every decision, every sanction understood, to raise awareness of the act committed.”
The use of the ENT (Digital Workspace) reflects the principal’s desire to infuse his establishment with dynamism and optimize each student’s potential. It is a digital portal intended for the principal, teachers, as well as students and their parents. The principal even posts his schedule there and justifies it: “Sometimes, teachers or students think that because you’re not in your office or in the corridors of the college, you’re at the beach when you’re actually in a work meeting at the school district, for example.” The college is in its second year of experimenting with this innovative system for education. A pedagogical revolution whose essence Hervé Beauvais is trying to extract. Parents have received training, and the majority of teachers use it. In classes, each teacher’s desk is equipped with a computer and a projector. “We no longer write on the boards,” jokes Mr. Guyot. The digital revolution is underway at College de Juan.
Patrick Guyot, a History-Geography teacher, prepared his lessons on a computer and invites his new students to consult the year’s program on the ENT. He has also prepared the knowledge threshold in his subject for the diploma. “It’s a time saver. Explaining what needs to be known for the diploma would take an hour of class. Here, students only need to turn on their computer at home in the evening,” explains Patrick Guyot. 80% of the Rostagne students have Internet access. The other 20% can use the computers in the two computer rooms of the institution. On this digital portal, one can find attendance sheets and grade reports. Communication with all college staff is possible. A new way of teaching.
Last year, there were videoconferences with Laurence Parisot, president of the MEDEF, and Bernard Thibaut, general secretary of the CGT. Always with the aim of innovating, Hervé Beauvais will implement by the end of the first trimester a computerized skill evaluation system in each specific subject. It will allow for a better distribution of level groups. Hervé Beauvais refuses to use the term model college. To please him, one will say it is a college with experimental methods. Experiences full of promises for the future of National Education.
With Barbara D.
Another project for implementing an IT tool in educational institutions is still underway and carried out by the Nice Première team: https://www.nicepremium.fr/article/scolaweb-le-journal-internet-des-ecoles.688.html
