2023-08-31 17:59:01
A scrutinized start. “This is the first start of the reform of vocational high schools, and many advances are already taking place”, declared Monday, during the back-to-school press conference of the Ministry of Education, Carole Grandjean, Minister Delegate in charge of Education. Vocational Education and Training. To prove it, Emmanuel Macron travels this Friday with her and Gabriel Attal to the professional high school of Argensol, in Orange (Vaucluse).
The stakes are high since one in three high school students is enrolled in the vocational stream (621,000 students at the start of the 2022 school year), and these students often have difficulties. According to the Elysée, “40% of them have a fragile command of French, compared to 6% of their comrades in general and technical high schools”. Same with math. After getting their baccalaureate, half of them choose to continue their studies, most often in BTS. But only half manage to get it in two years. For those heading into the job market, only 53% have a job two years after graduation.
French and math lessons in small groups
The government has therefore provided the means by investing one billion euros per year for these high schools. At this start of the school year, several changes are therefore emerging in the 2,000 vocational high schools in France. So that this orientation is no longer by default, but responds to a real desire, times for discovering professions will be set up in 5th grade at college. So that families know what to expect, useful information on vocational high schools will now appear in Affelnet, the high school assignment platform: the integration rates of former students, the possibilities of continuing their studies, etc.
To fight against school dropout, which is often very high in professional high schools, French and maths lessons can be offered in small groups. Options will also emerge. Wishing to remove the specialties of professional baccalaureate which offer weak outlets, to favor those which integrate well, the government has started to revise the training map. This is carried out by the academies, in conjunction with companies. “As of this start of the school year, 80 new courses offering 1,000 places are offered”, indicates the Elysée.
Compensation for periods in the company
Another innovation to improve the professional integration of graduates: a business office will be set up in each high school, in order to “offer a network to those who do not have one”, said Carole Grandjean on Monday. From September, high schools will also welcome their former students if they have not found a job, in order to help them integrate. At this start of the school year, specialties will be offered after the bac to lead to a bac +1 level. “This year, 5,000 places will be offered in these courses,” said the minister on Monday.
And to enhance the work of the students, from January 1, 2024, they will receive a small bonus during their periods in business: 50 euros per week in second, 75 euros in 1st and 100 euros in terminal.
A reform still contested
But on the side of the unions, this reform still makes people cringe. Sigrid Gerardin, general secretary of Snuep-FSU, the vocational education union, first denounces “the objective of massive closures of the tertiary sectors at the start of the school year to open them up to sectors in tension”.
And according to her, some of the announcements of the reform may not see the light of day. “Part of the reform will not exist if many teachers refuse the pact, such as groups with reduced numbers in French and maths, options, bac +1 training,” she said. this Thursday during the union’s back-to-school press conference. Protesters have planned an angry welcoming committee for the visit of the president and his ministers. Who will, no doubt, enter the arena to try to convince.
#reform #vocational #high #schools