Of consultations will be held in September

Or the Minister of Education, Xavier Darcos, Richard Descoings has finally dared to tackle head-on the "mammoth" of the reform of upper secondary schools. Director of Sciences po, appointed in January by Nicolas Sarkozy after the failure of the project Darcos, made yesterday to the head of State a two phase project: a first wave of relatively general and consensual recommendations likely to be applied as soon as the 2010 intake and a second wave of deeper and more delicate, measures which, warned, cannot be implemented that later after "negotiation" with the unions.

The Director of Sciences po advocates disruption of the architecture of the lycée or redesign of the Bachelor's degree: "We must stop dreaming to the great evening of education and begin by improving can be", he explains in the "world". While preventing: "doing nothing would be explosive." Richard Descoings, mandated to restore wire with youth after the December bronca, targeted topics their loved ones in his "school project": direction, balance between channels, commitment, modern languages. If, rue de Grenelle, it is estimated that the final result is, at bottom, little remote project Darcos, teachers ' unions complained that the text contains "little concrete proposals", and that they are "too often the pious wish. Remains to know what use will be in the Government. The Elysee, visibly satisfied that Richard Descoings has fulfilled its mission without waves (see below), confirmed that the objective was "entry into force of all or part of these measures as soon as the 2010 intake". The Minister of Education, Xavier Darcos, who has, he called these "recommendations" of "useful", wish that they come to power, alongside the report appeared (bolder) and rectors "d'action project" contribution for 2010. Of consultations will be held in September. Four issues emerge.

Orientation

To end with "sustained" orientation, Richard Descoings advocates "a Copernican revolution": enter the orientation throughout the school, by including it in school time, developing courses and reorientation during the year. He suggests that multiply the external interventions (sponsorship of former students, "incentives" for professionals, parents of student...), but also less consensual, rely on orientation-psychologists counsellors and to enable high school teachers to further teach at the University.

Channels

The report suggests to maintain the General purpose of the second, and to balance the channels of the systemically to rely instead on a reform of the literary series (more languages...). Very classically, it proposes to improve the lot of the technological and professional courses. However, it does not address the question of balance between disciplines (schedules...), subject sensitive to teachers lobbies, which had been serious problems this fall to Xavier Darcos.

Lessons

Two propositions emerge: one invoice classical (but expensive), aims to develop the learning of modern languages (oral of IBC, stays abroad); the second, more iconoclastic, would be to engage high school students in their assessment.

Organization of high school

Over the longer term a refounding of the high school will be "necessary", warns Richard Descoings. But it will not be possible without "negotiations" with the unions. The Director of Sciences po points three explosive topics: the use of time of students (no formal course after 15 hours, development of school support...), the mission and the time of work of teachers.