Teachers' Strike Over National Assessments
As the new school year begins, approximately 12 million students in France are returning to classrooms amid significant changes and controversies. On September 10, primary and nursery school teachers are set to strike, led by unions FSU-SNUipp, CGT éducation, and Sud éducation. Their main grievance revolves around the generalization of student assessments from CP to CM2, which they argue infringes on their pedagogical freedom and adds unnecessary workload. Teachers claim that these evaluations, which take up about a week of class time, are complex to correct and yield little benefit for students.
The unions are concerned that these assessments reflect a hypercentralized education system that prioritizes statistics over genuine educational outcomes. Critics argue that the assessments are designed more for governmental self-satisfaction rather than improving student learning outcomes, as evidenced by disappointing results in international tests like Pisa and TIMSS.
New Policies and Uncertain Future for Education
In addition to the strike, the resigning Minister of Education, Nicole Belloubet, announced new measures for the school year, including the introduction of need groups in French and math for 6th and 5th graders, although this has faced backlash from educators. The government also plans to implement new national assessments in CE2 and CM2, a move that has sparked protests among teachers who deem it a source of stress.
Amidst these changes, uncertainty looms over the reform of the brevet, which may not be mandatory for entering high school, and the introduction of differentiated pathways in vocational high schools. Furthermore, experimental policies such as uniform trials in schools and mobile phone bans in middle schools are set to take effect. As the education landscape continues to evolve, the call for a more transparent and effective assessment system remains a hot topic among educators and policymakers alike.
