Student assessments: a “slump” in results in French in CE1 and 6e

Louise Sallé with AFP, edited by Laura Laplaud 8:44 a.m., November 26, 2022, modified at 8:45 a.m., November 26, 2022

The ministry made public on Friday the results of these national assessments, carried out in September, which focused in CP and CE1 on skills in French and maths, and in sixth grade on all the skills to be acquired in primary school.

Last year, the results of student assessments at the start of CP, CE1 and 6e showed that the delays observed in French and mathematics after the first confinement of 2020 had been absorbed.

This year, "we see a drop in results in French in CE1 and 6th grade, most likely linked to the health crisis, with the months of January and February 2022 very disrupted in schools, with absences of students and teachers. “, explained Edouard Geffray, director general of school education (Dgesco), during

>> Find Europe morning weekend 6-8 in podcast and replay here

French results down

The French results of CE1 students are down in several areas compared to 2021, in particular in writing words, reading aloud or understanding sentences and texts.

In 6th grade - particularly scrutinized this year because the Minister of Education Pap Ndiaye must present measures concerning this class next week - the results are down in French compared to 2021. The average score per student drops from 260.8 points in 2021 to 256.5.

The share of pupils in the low levels goes from 22.4% to 27.1%, while it drops in the high levels (from 36.7% to 33.8%).

>> READ ALSO -

 Education: is the level of French students so bad?

Skills impacted more than others

We observe in particular "a drop in French of 4 points, whatever the sectors" in 6th grade, added Fabienne Rosenwald, director of Depp, the statistics agency of the ministry.

“When we observed the results in 2020, following the confinement, we observed that certain skills were more impacted by the health crisis than others. For example, writing words, and what we see this year, it's that it's the same skills that have also been impacted," says Edouard Geffray at the microphone of Europe 1.

In mathematics, the differences between students are increasing

Positive point: the gaps in level between the priority education establishments and the others narrow in CP and CE1.

Proof, according to the ministry, that the duplication of classes is bearing fruit.

"And that's a first. Until now, in CP, we had gaps that were significant at the entrance and there, for the first time, we have students who are much better, in quotes, than 'they weren't,' continues the director general of school education.

However, in mathematics, "the share of students in difficulty has increased a little this year and therefore the whole challenge is to reduce the gap", while "continuing to generate excellent students", according to Edouard Geffray.

"This is one of the challenges of primary but also of 6th grade: to remedy these difficulties very quickly. This is why the minister announced his wish to consolidate fundamental knowledge in 6th grade, especially for students in difficulty", he recalled.