After philosophy, place for the grand oral: from Monday, the students of Terminale are called for this new test of the baccalaureate new formula, which will lead to a “real mark” and whose organization worries the unions.
Some 525,760 candidates for the general and technological baccalaureate are invited between Monday June 21 and Friday July 2 for twenty minutes of presentation and discussions with a jury. The subject of the presentation is to be chosen from two themes linked to their specialty teaching, prepared during the year. The candidate then answers questions on this theme or other notions of the program and ends by explaining his orientation project.
Speaking is something you have to do all the time in life.
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“Expressing yourself orally is something that you have to do permanently in life”, underlined in mid-June the Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, who recommended to the candidates to ” gain self-confidence by training “for the ordeal.
Roxane, a student in Terminale générale in Paris, who appreciates taking the oral exam, assures that she is “well prepared”. “Our teachers helped us and we walked past everyone in class to train,” explains the 17-year-old girl. Convened on Monday, she will talk about the role of cryptocurrencies or Covid as a new area of confrontation between countries.
The jury will assess on 20 points the candidate’s ability to capture attention, his time management, the quality of his knowledge and his argument. The test has a coefficient of 10 in the general route and 14 in the technological route, in the final mark of the bac. This is the only final test maintained, with the written philosophy, the other subjects being assessed in continuous assessment.
Salomé, 18, had come “a little in relaxation mode” to philosophy, whose mark can be replaced by that obtained at the continuous control if it is better.
I chose my own subjects and there will be a real note
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“For the grand oral, it’s different. I’m more invested, I chose my own subjects and there will be a real note,” argues the young girl, a student in Paris, who expects to be ” stressed “on D-day.” A lot of people preferred to ignore philosophy and focus on the great oral. It is more or less my case “, abounds Matteo, 17, high school student in Toulouse.
This year, the high school and teacher unions had requested the cancellation of the grand oral, due to the preparation difficulties caused by the health crisis. Since November in particular, many high school students have had to follow their courses at a distance.
To reassure candidates, the Ministry of Education exceptionally allows them to keep the draft prepared for their presentation in front of them. They can also give the jury a description of their teachers indicating whether parts of the program could not be studied.
“Everyone tinkers in his corner, which shows that this test is poorly prepared”
As the oral examinations approached, the unions were however worried about their organization, citing delays in sending invitations to students and teachers who must compose the juries. In addition to the delays, “there are sometimes even inconsistencies noted in the convocations received: teachers are for example expected in two different places at the same time. Pupils have also received a summons for Sunday”, notes Catherine Nave-Bekhti, general secretary of Sgen-CFDT.
“There are rectorates who provide tools at the last moment to better calculate the grade for this great oral, with spreadsheets for example (…) but no national line. Everyone tinkers in his corner, which shows that this test is poorly prepared “, also deplores Sophie Vénétitay deputy general secretary of Snes-FSU, the first secondary school union.
The grand oral is the last test of the Terminale for the bac. The results of this bicentennial exam will be released on July 6. The catch-ups will start the next day and will run until July 9.
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