"The problem we have today with this device is that we have more and more teachers who do not speak French," said Emmanuel Macron after a trip to Mulhouse dedicated to the fight against "Islamist separatism". The Elco are the "teachings of language and culture of origin" which have existed since the 1970s. Originally, they were intended for the children of foreign workers. Today these are optional courses and they concern nine countries: Spain, Italy, Portugal, Croatia, Serbia, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and even Turkey. But what exactly does this device consist of? Explanations.
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The Elco's objective is to facilitate the education of recently immigrated children, in primary school, college and also in high school. Each year, about 80,000 students take these optional language and culture courses. Today, more than half concern teaching in Arabic, followed by Turkish and Portuguese.
The National Education has no control, no control over the programs
These courses are taught by professors appointed and paid for by each of the nine countries concerned. The problem is that nothing is integrated into the school curriculum, everything happens outside of school. National Education therefore has no control, no control over the programs.
To avoid certain excesses, Emmanuel Macron therefore wishes to transform these Elco into Eile: international lessons in a foreign language. A project similar to that launched in 2016 by Najat-Vallaud Belkacem, then Minister of Education. In this new system, teachers will have to master French and enroll in an educational team. Their programs will be monitored and students assessed.