• The Afev, an association which offers tutoring by students in working-class neighborhoods, publishes a study on the relationship with the school of college students of Rep and Rep +.

  • It shows that academic demands are often sources of stress for these priority education college students.

  • And when the school climate is heavy in their establishment, this plays into the difficult relationship they have with the school.

They often go to class dragging their feet. One in four college students from Rep says they don't like going to school, according to a study * by Afev (Association of the student foundation for the city) which appears this Tuesday evening, on the occasion of the Day of the refusal of school failure, Wednesday. A mixed taste for courses which testifies to the current context, according to Marc Douaire, president of the Observatory of priority zones (OZP): “The health crisis has particularly worsened social inequalities. The students of Rep and Rep + were the most affected, because the confinement and periods of home schooling caused a real break in their schooling ”.

It must be said that 49% of college students questioned sometimes feel uncomfortable in college. A discomfort that 56% of them attribute to stress, fear of controls or being questioned. “It is in college that the question of school selection is played out, that the requirements of the institution are beginning to be marked. And if the students are afraid of the evaluation, it is because it is experienced as a sanction evaluation, ”Marc Drouaire analyzes. “The indicators show that a greater proportion of girls than boys feel this stress when it comes to school demands. And that 3rd year college students are more prone to it than those in 6th year, because they feel that the level is rising and are afraid of not being up to the task, ”underlines Eunice Mangado-Lunetta, director of programs at Afev.

36% of college students surveyed rarely or never participate in class

Moreover, 66% of priority education college students say they sometimes do not understand what teachers expect of them, and 15% often do not understand.

When this happens to them, the first recourse is to ask for help from a teacher (59%) or from a classmate for 57% of them.

But more worrying: 32% of students who do not understand the instructions choose to continue their work without asking for help.

And 11% stop working.

"Many do not tell the teacher that they are having difficulties, they accumulate gaps and drop out silently, little by little," observes Eunice Mangado-Lunetta.

This lack of self-confidence is felt in their investment in class: 36% of college students questioned rarely or never participate in class (they are even 43% in 3rd).

The first reason mentioned is the fear of speaking in front of everyone (55%), followed by the fear of making a mistake (42%) and not knowing the answer (28%).

"It is symptomatic of the relationship to fault which is very complicated in French-style education, unlike other countries, where making mistakes is considered a necessary step to succeed," comments Eunice Mangado-Lunetta.

“French education does not give enough value to the oral, the spontaneous reflections of the students.

This creates inhibitions in them, ”adds Marc Douaire.

"Maybe we should drop the rating system"

The feeling of unease at college in Rep and Rep + is also sometimes fueled by a tense school climate. Because nearly a third of college students have already suffered mockery, violence, theft or racketeering. “Here again, girls perceive college as more hostile towards them, because they have more the impression of being made fun of than boys (24% against 14%). And 36% say they have a stomach ache when they go to class, ”underlines Eunice Mangado-Lunetta. When they look to the future, some of these college students are not carefree, as 31% do not see well their pursuit of studies. “They have few students around them who could play the role of role model and help them project themselves,” notes Eunice Mangado-Lunetta.

Findings that call for strengthening the resources put on priority education. “Lessons in small groups need to be developed further, to allow students to be better supported and to encourage them to participate more,” believes Marc Douaire. “We also need to strengthen the component relating to differentiated pedagogy in initial teacher training,” adds Eunice Mangado-Lunetta. And to reduce the stress of these college students, Marc Douaire also considers it necessary to review the evaluation system: "We should perhaps drop the system of marks to favor evaluation by competence". While taking care to fight against the phenomenon of self-censorship of these young people: "We must multiply the interventions of high school pupils and students in the colleges of Rep to help the college students to project themselves into courses",recommends Eunice Mangado-Lunetta.

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* 

Survey carried out in May and June 2021 among 882 college students in REP and REP +. 

  • priority education

  • Middle School

  • Back to School

  • Education

  • Society