[ARCHIVE] G7 France : Education Ministers' meeting "enjoy learning"

Actualité

The fight against educational inequalities begins at an early age. That is why the challenges of early schooling, a challenge facing all countries, will be at the heart of our discussions. Improved teacher training will be another central point, as it is the essential condition for raising students' educational level and therefore of social justice. In this vein, girls' education and vocational training are subjects on which all countries must move forward in a spirit of cooperation. Finally, the fight against all forms of harassment will be a major focus of discussions because this scourge must disappear from our schools. Schools must work towards a society of trust based on respect for others.

"Openness" will be the watchword of these meetings: openness to invited countries, strengthening cooperation with developing countries, and the mobilization of civil society and schools. This openness will allow us to create the collective intelligence necessary to progress on projects essential to our societies' advancement.

It is through the transmission of shared knowledge and values that we will build a more human world, where everyone will be master of their own destiny. I know that the discussions that we will have during G7 2019 will allow us to progress on this path.

Jean-Michel Blanquer,
Minister of National Education and Youth

Making nursery school a means of achieving equality and success

To ensure that all students master basic skills (reading, writing, counting and respecting others), nursery school must be a place for student fulfillment and language learning.

The expertise of French teachers helps make French nursery schools a source of national pride and an international model. To enable it to meet the challenges of the 21st century, the Ministry of National Education and Youth calls upon recognized specialists to help it create new pedagogical and organizational models.

As announced in March 2019 by the President of the Republic, and adopted definitively this month, July 2019, a law makes nursery school compulsory and thus lowers the age of compulsory education from 6 to 3 years. Beginning in the 2019 school year, the law provides for a common framework, offering all students the same opportunity to succeed in their schooling.

Reducing inequality in primary school

The French government launched an initiative in September 2017 to reduce first and second-grade class size by half in Priority Education Networks (REP) and Enhanced Priority Education Networks (REP+), to achieve an average of 12 students per class. One of the government's leading social justice initiatives, it has been helping to reduce inequalities between students for more than two years. It will be accompanied by a program to limit to 24 the number of students in all kindergarten, first grade and second grade classes in the rest of France.

Strengthening French and mathematics education

Children from disadvantaged backgrounds in particular have an insufficient mastery of French and mathematics. To remedy this situation, rigorous teaching programs, renewed resources and a clarification of the educational curriculum have been implemented.

National tests in first, second and sixth grades

All children in first, second and sixth grades will take evaluation tests to identify student difficulties early in the year.

For each skill tested, teachers have teaching resources to respond to the difficulties encountered by their students. They have received new resources from the Ministry's Scientific Council.

Since September 2018, these tests have made it possible to verify that first-grade students have the necessary skills to learn reading and mathematics. In second grade, the tests cover writing and counting.

Each family receives individualized feedback from teachers. The results are taken into account by national education inspectors, allowing them to respond to the needs of the students in their region.

Chaque famille bénéficie d'un retour individualisé de la part des professeurs. Les résultats, centralisés par les inspecteurs de l'éducation nationale, leur permettent de mener une action pédagogique dans leur circonscription pour répondre aux besoins des élèves.

In sixth grade, students take these French and math evaluations online and they are corrected automatically.

Each student receives individualized feedback. The anonymous data is collected by DEPP to inform the Ministry's educational policy.

This evaluation is the first step in a educational initiative that aims to identify educational difficulties in order to respond with appropriate measures: a weekly complementary hour of educational activities in elementary school or two hours of personalized help in lower secondary school (the Homework Done program).

Professional pathways to train for the jobs of tomorrow

Vocational secondary school has been undergoing a transformation over the past year to enable it to be a steppingstone to employment or further studies.

This transformation enables a better link between professional education and general education, with personalized and progressive courses for students.

Campuses for Trades and Skills have been developed to respond to a strategic socio-economic challenge and participate in the development of future professions and French sectors of excellence, with the creation of Campuses of Excellence.

Initial and continuing teacher's education geared towards student success

Since March 2018, on the initiative of the Minister of National Education and Youth, teacher training has been the subject of a major renewal. As part of a series of "social agenda" discussions, based on in-depth consultations with all stakeholders, this reform has three major points of focus.

"Pre-professionalization" for a gradual entry into a teaching career
Updated initial training, a certificate for teaching abroad
Continuing education: personalized extension of initial training

Combatting harassment at school : a Ministry priority

The Ministry of National Education and Youth is dedicated to its fight against student harassment. This fight necessitates an awareness of the educational community, the systematic sanction of harassment and a broad prevention policy. Ten new initiatives were enacted in September 2019.

Mobilizing in favor of the climate and biodiversity

In the spring of 2019, the Minister of National Education and Youth invited the 60 elected members of the National Council of High School Life (CNVL) to discuss climate and environmental issues. It took place at the conclusion of a general discussion on the subject in all French upper secondary schools, led by the Councils of High School Life.

This discussion allowed the Minister to become aware of student concerns and student proposals regarding climate change, sustainable development and biodiversity, and to offer practical support for these student initiatives deployed throughout the country.

Acting for the equality of girls and boys

The Ministry of Education and Youth's policy for equality is part and parcel of the President of the Republic's focus on equality between women and men, in particular the commitment to "educate for equality from an early age."

The National Education Ministry's Scientific Council : serving the entire educational community

Established in January 2018 by Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer, the National Education Ministry's Scientific Council (CSEN), chaired by Stanislas Dehaene, aids in making decisions on the major educational issues of our time. It makes public the latest advances, such as the results of field research.

Five aims of the CSEN :

evaluation and intervention,
training and educational resources,
pedagogy,
child-friendly learning strategies.

Lower and upper secondary-school simulated G7 summit

In order to make G7 summit more accessible to the public, the Ministry of National Education and Youth suggested that lower and upper secondary-school teachers organize simulations of G7 negotiations on the theme of the fight against inequalities. Some 60 institutions responded, and the seven most outstanding proposals are to be presented to G7 ministers on July 4.

On the occasion of the 2019 G7 summit, the Ministry of National Education and Youth invited French secondary schools to organize student simulations of the G7 meetings, on the theme of the fight against inequalities. These initiatives helped launch school discussions about the G7 summit and to address the importance of multilateralism and its functioning.

With the encouragement of their teachers, some 60 lower and upper secondary-school classes conducted these mock sessions. The Academic Delegates for European and International Relations and Cooperation (DAREIC) aided schools in this educational initiative.

The initiative led classes to conduct research on G7 countries, learn about their respective educational models and conduct a real international discussion. Gender equality, inclusive education (accessibility to students with disabilities), the fight against harassment and all forms of discrimination at school were all themes put forward by the students, in line with the issues at the heart of the July 4th ministerial meetings.

The conclusion of the mini G7 negotiations led to the drafting of a declaration containing seven key measures to combat inequalities. This statement was presented digitally in different forms by various classes (in the form of a text, slideshow, short video, etc.).

After consideration by a jury on June 18, prizes were awarded to seven classes, whose representatives were invited to Paris on July 4. A collection of statements: "7 steps to fight against inequalities" will be given to the G7 ministers. It will also be distributed to the institutions that took part in this action.

The 11 competition winners