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TheStrangleholdonFrenchSchools
ByPETERGUMBEL

SEPT.11,2015

PARISEverycountryhasitsbacktoschoolrituals.InFranceforthepast
fewyears,larentrethereturntoclassroomsafterthetwomonth
summerbreakhasbeenaccompaniedbyteacherstrikes.
Lastyear,oneinfourteachersdidntshowupforworkonsome
Septemberdaystoprotestagainstchangesintheschooltimetable.Theyear
before,somestruckbecauseoflosingadaysvacation.Thisyear,thelargest
teachersunionhascalledforadaylongstrikenextThursdayandamass
rallyinOctobertovoicediscontentwiththegovernmentsplanstoalterthe
middleschoolcurriculum.Amongotherthings,therewillbefewer
possibilitiestoteachLatinandGerman,andanewemphasison
interdisciplinarystudies.
Itiseasytoaccusetheteachers,assomedo,ofblockinganyattempts
toimprovethesystem.Itsalsoeasytounderstandwhyteachersarefedup.
TheyarepoorlypaidbyEuropeanstandards.Theyoperatewithinastifling,
highlycentralizedhierarchythatmicromanagestheireverymove.Andfor
morethanadecade,theyhavebornethebruntofconstantbutminor
reformattemptsthathavesingularlyfailedtoaddressthetwocriticalissues
facingtheFrenchpublicschoolsystem:therapiddeclineintheacademic
performanceofpupils,andthegrowingsocialinequalityintheeducation
system.
Today,oneinfourpupilsinFrancefailstocompletehisorher

secondaryeducation,accordingtothenationalstatisticsofficeInsee.Inthe
internationalPISAstudiesthatmeasuretheperformanceof15yearolds
aroundtheworldinmathematics,scienceandreadingcomprehension,the
averageFrenchscoreisatbestmediocre,andthenumberwhoperform
poorlyhasrisensharplysincethefirsttestin2000.Eventhetop
performersarelessnumerousasapercentageofthestudentbodythanin
otherEuropeancountriesincludingGermany,PolandandBelgium.Fora
nationthatlongbelievedintheintellectualexcellenceofitsschoolsystem,
thatspainful.
Theresworsetocome.Schoolissupposedtobeacriticalenablerof
socialmobility.Thewordgalitisinscribedonalmosteveryschoolin
Franceandyouwontfindthestrataofsuperexpensiveprivateinstitutions
fortheaffluentthatexistintheUnitedStatesorBritainmostofthebest
Frenchschoolsarepublicandfree.
YetaccordingtoPISA,Francenowhasoneofthemostinegalitarian
schoolsystemsintheworld,onaparwithBulgaria,ChileandPeru.The
gapinperformancebetweenchildrenofwelloffparentsandpooronesis
todaygreaterinFrancethananywhereelseinWesternEuropeorthe
UnitedStates,wheretheinequalitiesoftheeducationsystemhave
preoccupiedpolicymakersforfourdecades.
Whathasgonesowrong?Thatquestionispartofanincreasingly
polemicalpoliticaldebatewhichitselfispartoftheproblem.Thereisno
consensusonthecausesoftheschoolscrisis,oronthepossiblesolutions.
Ontakingoffice,successivegovernmentsupendtheeducationpoliciesof
theirpredecessors.In2008,underPresidentNicolasSarkozy,the
governmentchangedtheschoolhoursin2013,underPresidentFranois
Hollande,theywerechangedback.In2009,teachertrainingcollegeswere
shutdownfouryearslater,theywerereopened.Thejobofeducation
ministerhasbecomeapoliticalejectorseat:Averagetenureislessthantwo
years.
Ibelieveoneofthemainproblemsisthesheerenormityandheavy

handednessofthesystem.Withmorethanonemillionpersonnel,it
overtooktheRussianarmedforcesinsizein2010tobecomethesecond
largestorganizationinEurope.(OnlyBritainsNationalHealthServiceis
bigger.)
Butschoolworksbestasalocalaffair.Teachersandprincipalsonthe
frontlinesknowbetterwhatservestheneedsoftheirpupilsthanministry
officialsinPariss7tharrondissement.YetundertheFrenchsystem,
schoolsaretightlycontrolledandgivennoleeway.Theyarenotviewedas
standaloneentitiesallowedtomaketheirownchoices.Principalshaveno
authorityovertheteachers,anddontformateam.TheycantofferLatinor
Germanclassesastheywant.Theycantevenselectnewteachers:All
personneldecisionsaredecidedbythecentralauthorities,basedon
seniority.Teachersunionsandministryofficialsarebothadamantabout
keepingitthatway.
Thisstrangleholdisuntenable.Thesituationhasnowdeterioratedto
suchanextentthatthesystemisstartingtofragment.Ispentayear
travelingaroundFrancevisitingschoolsthataretryingtodothings
differently.Demandfromparentsforalternativeschoolsisgrowing
accordingtoonepoll,55percentofparentswouldtaketheirchildrenoutof
thestatesystemiftheycould.
Thismixtureofparentaldemandandteacherfrustrationaregivingrise
toallsortsofinterestingexperiments.About50newprivateschoolsper
yeararecurrentlyopening.Montessorionesareverymuchinfashion,
especiallybilingualones.Homeschoolingisstartingtogaintractionits
stilltinywithjustover5,000familiesdoingitbutgrowingfast,upby
70percentinfiveyears.Anembryoniccharterschoolmovementwith
conservativeCatholicrootsrecentlyopenedtwoschoolsinrundownareas
outsideParisandMarseillethatareattractingalargenumberofMuslim
families.Schooluniformsarecompulsoryandgraceissaidbeforelunch.
Themostsurprisingexperimentsaretakingplacewithinthedecaying
publicsystem,especiallyintheworstschoolsinthetoughestareas.Groups

ofhighlymotivatedteachers,seeingthattheprescribedcurriculumand
methodssimplydontwork,aretakingmattersintotheirownhands,and
convincinglocaleducationofficialstograntthemexemptionsfromthe
rules.
Asmallnetworkofsocalledmicrolycesthathelpschooldropouts
getbackontrackandtaketheirbaccalaureatehassprungup.Theresults
arespectacular:kidswrittenoffascompletefailuressuddenlyendupwith
commendationsandaregoingontouniversity.Ialsospenttimeina
suburbofLilleinaprimaryschoolthatwasthreatenedwithclosure15
yearsagobecauseitwasfailingsobadly.Today,itsresultsareabovethe
nationalaverage.
Thesebreakawaymovementsarestillfewandfarbetween.Butthe
systemcouldandshouldlearnfromthem.ThekeytosolvingFrances
educationcrisisistoempowerteachersandgiveschoolsfarmore
autonomy.LetthemteachLatiniftheywant.Whenteachersaremotivated
andworktogetherforthegoodoftheirpupils,itmakesallthedifference.
Whoknows,onedayitmightevenputanendtothosebacktoschool
strikes.
PeterGumbelisaParisbasedauthorandjournalist.Hislatestbook,
Cescolespascommelesautres,appearsinEnglishasFrenchSchool
WithoutTears.

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AversionofthisopedappearsinprintonSeptember12,2015,inTheInternationalNewYork
Times.

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