Flagship measure of the five-year term, the duplication of CP, CE1 and large kindergarten classes in priority areas is disappointing despite some progress.
After his visit in November to the Richomme school, in the popular district of Goutte d’Or, in Paris (18th century), Jean-Michel Blanquer returned ecstatic. “The students there reach the same level as those of the 7th arrondissement”, in the beautiful districts. It holds its own: the establishment, in a reinforced priority education network (REP+), has benefited from a large section of kindergarten, CP and CE1 in disadvantaged areas.
“Duplication, explains the Minister of National Education, is the locomotive of all my action in this ministry.” An emblematic measure of social justice intended to materialize Emmanuel Macron’s promise to put an end to the sad French record of educational inequalities to combat “house arrest”, promote “emancipation”, commit to ” children who are poor will not be the poor of tomorrow”.
In fact, all the international studies enjoin to put the package on the small classes, showing that it is at an early age that the difficulties settle. Launched at the start of the 2017 school year, these duplications now benefit 380,000 pupils (20% of the age group) in the 1,050 REP and REP+ establishments, mobilizing 10,800 additional teachers.
In these classes with twelve pupils, the atmosphere is calmer, the pupils attentive, the teachers rested. And the parents very happy. But are the results up to par? Jean-Michel Blanquer affirms to Challenges that the gap between students in REP and those outside REP fell from eleven to seven points in reading fluidity, thus reduced by 36%: “It’s an extraordinary result. I can leave proud of the work accomplished”, launches the minister, even if he recognizes that “the 2020 confinement has delayed progress, which is still heterogeneous.”
Expensive device
However, by his ministry, at the Department of Evaluation, Foresight and Performance, validated by a group of independent experts, shows a reduction in the gap well[…]
Read also
–
