Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that colleges would be gradually opened from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and kindergarten accessible from the age of two in priority education districts, starting with Marseille, to fight against “school inequality “. “We are going to college from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.”, with Marseille at the “outposts”, declared the Head of State during an exchange with more than 300 Marseillais.
An initiative that should be generalized to other sensitive neighborhoods
This initiative will then be intended to be generalized to all so-called sensitive neighborhoods in France, he said. The time slots will go from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. “minimum”, said the Elysée, adding that all colleges in Priority Education Networks (Rep) and Rep+ would be concerned. “School inequality is created in these times when the child has been sent home,” said the president. “In college, the battle is not to (let) drop out young people in sixth grade,” he insisted.
“In sensitive neighborhoods, we will develop reception in schools from the age of two for those who wish,” added Emmanuel Macron. This measure will be extended to the 300 most sensitive neighborhoods in France by 2027, said the presidency.
“Fewer students per class in the middle section”
Emmanuel Macron also mentioned the idea of having “fewer students per class in the middle section in kindergarten” in these neighborhoods. Regarding the final year in high school, the Head of State also announced that measures would be taken from the start of the school year to prevent the school year from running out too quickly, thus responding to the criticisms of many teachers.
“That there is more continuous control is rather a good thing, that the school year ends so early on certain tests is rather a problem”, he conceded. “I asked for adjustments so that from the next school year the new bac corresponds more to our needs”, he added. Regarding Parcoursup, he also promised to improve “the humanity of the system” and to ensure that “parents of students and young people have much more feedback on their files”, especially when it comes to refusals.