France: the ministers pass, the dictation remains

Audio 01:09

Is dictation the most formative exercise for mastering spelling?

AFP/Mychele Daniau

Text by: Laurence Théault Follow

3 mins

How to raise the level of students in France?

The Minister of National Education offers tracks this Thursday, January 12.

In a circular, Pap Ndiaye, the Minister of Education, emphasizes better mastery of spelling and reading.

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Year 6 entrance assessments show that 27% of pupils cannot read and they are making more and more mistakes.

If we compare a dictation from 1987 to the same exercise thirty years later, today's students make "

" as their elders.

The drop in the level of spelling becomes a level of major concern for the minister.

The ministers pass, the dictation remains

For spelling, it is not said in these terms, but the circular recommends a daily dictation for pupils of CM1 and CM2, in elementary school.

This daily dictation has already been set up by Pap Ndiaye's predecessors at the

, Jean-Michel Blanquer and Najat Vallaud-Belkacem.

It's not a revolution.

And then teachers already have the freedom, if they wish (and many do), to do a little daily dictation.

No flyer needed for that! 

The other objective set by the Minister for CM1 and CM2 is to write and read, at least two hours a day, two long texts, of at least 1,000 words each.

The teachers retort that the reading of texts is already done.

Including the work of writing and reading in subjects other than French: in mathematics or even in history.

As for dictation, they consider that it is not an apprenticeship: one knows or else one does not know.

The dictation is just a check.

On the fact of reading two hours a day, teachers do not see how they will find the time to do these long readings in classes of 30 students.

Measures that do not provide for additional means

At the start of the school year in September 2023, all 6th graders without exception will have an extra hour of French or math per week.

It will be provided by school teachers who will come to the establishments.

The Minister of Education justifies the use of teachers by saying that there will be "

".

The new hour of weekly support will be included in the twenty-six hours of compulsory lessons, instead of that of technology.

The removal of the hour of technology is also cringe.

Setting up the hour of support by removing a discipline is confirmation that the announcements on the 6th are made with constant means, according to Sophie Vénétitay, of the SNES-FSU, who denounces a "

hand ".

The ministry says there will be no job cuts for teachers.

Reading, writing, counting: fundamental knowledge and mastery thereof are at the heart of the first measures announced by the Minister of Education to raise the level of students.

Nothing really new from the point of view of teachers who have been calling for less overcrowded classes for a long time.

So more resources.

🇬🇧 One in four students does not have the required level in French.

#spelling

► Based on this observation, the Minister of National Education, #PapNdiaye, recommends that CM1 and CM2 teachers make a daily dictation to students.

🎧 Report L. Théault #RFImatin 👇 pic.twitter.com/Xuj6TzviQf

– RFI (@RFI) January 12, 2023

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