School calendar: what sauce they are our children being eaten? – The Point

Back to school earlier than September 1, Ascension bridge in all academies and advanced Spring Break: The new school calendar focuses on clarity, but also arouses discontent, mainly because of a very long third quarter. For the next three years, 12 million school children, high school students resume class on 1 September at the earliest, following the return of some 800 000 teachers. The end of the year will occur no later than the end of the first full week of July. (See the document at the bottom of this article)

This is “clear rules on the next three years, to end the uncertainty,” said Thursday the Minister of Education Najat Vallaud-Belkacem. Benoît Hamon his predecessor had to change the date of re-entry in 2014 a few weeks ago because of protests from teachers’ unions. The ministry has tried to get closer to the ideal rhythm of seven weeks of class / two holiday, considered by experts as the best scheme to promote learning. This goal is far from being completed in the third quarter, since up to 12 weeks for zone C on 2016-2017 year.

Bridge of Ascension

“To alleviate this third quarter, the rule is now granting Ascension bridge” has said the minister, who wishes to end the heterogeneity between academies and absenteeism when the bridge was not listed in the calendar. In response to the complaints of the tourism sector in mountain areas, which found too late dates of spring break – snow is so much lower in ski resorts – this holiday was advanced a week of schedule implemented since 2010.

These proposals do not meet the CIPF, one of two major associations of parents of public school students. “The third quarter is far too long and Ascension bridge solves nothing. The month of May is otherwise very tiring because of all the cuts of the holidays,” said its president Paul Raoult.

A redrawing of zones A, B and C

Valerie Marty, the president of the Peep, is less critical. It emphasizes that during the period between February and Spring Break, one of the most tiring for children, does not exceed seven weeks, which was not always the case before. It evokes a “flat” for the duration of the third quarter, but points out that this period is often shortened to high school students, and the work pace eased for schoolchildren. As for the consideration of economic interests, it is not “illogical”. “We must get out of naivety, rhythm school year economic life of a country and the students of working parents,” she says.

The two associations are in favor of a shortening of the summer holidays. But this eternal sea serpent is not about to be put on the negotiating table. “We need an impact study,” said the minister, who “does not consider it useful to date” to change the law (which stipulates the obligation 36 weeks). For François Testu psychologist specializing in rhythm and life time of the children, “there is a search for compromise” between “the economic demands of some – those caring skiing – and respect for the child.” “We do not encroach on major holidays end of August, we try to keep the pace up 7/2 spring break, the length of the school day is not affected”, if he pleased. “But the third quarter might require some remodeling.”

The creation of new regions in the framework of the territorial reform, on the other hand made it necessary redistribution of the three zones, A, B and C, for winter and spring holidays so that all the academies in the same region have the same holiday dates. Finally, both educational half days will now take place outside school hours, said Najat Vallaud-Belkacem.

DISCOVER the new school calendar