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Post by luckyluc on Sept 28, 2007 7:25:51 GMT -5
One more change in order to "modernize" France, there will be not more elementary school classes on Saturday morning, starting in september 2008. I guess, for parents it will make going away weekend easier but I can not stop thinking that less school time is never a good idea.
As a child I was not always happy to got to school on Saturday morning but we really need the Wednesday afternoon off to break the week or catch up with the homework. Oh well times are changing as they said...
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Post by Happygoin on Sept 28, 2007 7:44:11 GMT -5
I didn't realize that children attended public schools on Saturday in France. French children must be ecstatic.
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Post by Truffaut on Sept 28, 2007 8:00:36 GMT -5
Will they still have Wednesday afternoons free?
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toutou
Junior Member
Posts: 81 
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Post by toutou on Sept 28, 2007 8:14:20 GMT -5
Thank goodness not all schools in France have Saturday school. My daughter has been in the system (primary school, now in college) for seven years now and she has never had Saturday school. I don't know of any primary schools around here that have Saturday school. Even Colleges that run Saturday school around here are few.
Lycee is another story.
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Post by Anne on Sept 28, 2007 8:44:33 GMT -5
You have several systems going on in primary schools : most kids have school on Satuday mornings but no school on Wednesdays, some schools are closed on Sauturday but kids go to school on Wednesday mornings (that was my kids'), and some schools are closed both on Wednesday and on Saturdays but then the holidays are shorter . The choice is up to the city councils for the public schools .
I read that with the new system school will be closed both on Wednesdays and on Saturdays, so the kids will just have the normal 6 hours-school on Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri .
Most colleges and lycées have school on Wednesday mornings and not on Saturday mornings, and that shouldn't change . Anyway, I don't see how the Wednesday lessons could be spread out on the other days, since most of these days are already 8am-12 / 1pm-5pm, plus homeworks ....
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toutou
Junior Member
Posts: 81
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Post by toutou on Sept 28, 2007 9:11:39 GMT -5
I agree Ann I don't see how they can take away Wed.s and Sat.s and still keep the same curriculum.
Daughter has Wed. school til 12:30 pm. She is in school from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Mon. Tues. Thurs. and Friday. Unless they shorten the lunch break, I do not see how they can incorporate the Wed. classes into an already packed week.
I hear rumour they were going to cut Sport and music next. If they did that, then they could take away Wed.s and Sat.'s. That would be a shame for a generation that gets less and less physical exercise, preferring more and more to sit at the computer, or use the various multi-media apparatus (or would that be apparati??).
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Post by Anne on Sept 28, 2007 11:23:14 GMT -5
toutou, I don't think that they will cut on sports and music, at least not in colleges or lycées, where there are dedicated teachers . Teachers cannot be dismissed (or their salaries reduced), so I doubt that the State will pay them the same salary for working less ...
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Post by sistereurope on Sept 28, 2007 14:43:40 GMT -5
I find this discussion interesting - especially the school hours! My daughter just entered high school (9th grade). She has 4 classes per semester (4 semesters per year, with most classes lasting 2 semesters). Each class is 90 minutes long. So with lunch and homeroom, her day runs from about 7:30-7:45 to 2:15. Nowhere NEAR 5:30!! AND talk about lack of opportunity for exercise - she's now taking a Phys Ed class that will last until the end of the second semester. So she will earn the ONE Phys Ed credit that she needs to graduate by the second half of 9th grade - she won't have to take any more Phys Ed for the next 3 1/2 years!
Is it any wonder why so many of our kids are overweight?!
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Sept 28, 2007 15:25:09 GMT -5
SE - quite a change from my highschool days, when we had a 50-min. phys ed class every day of the week!
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Post by sistereurope on Sept 28, 2007 16:26:19 GMT -5
We did too, Becky - every day, for the entire 4 years. We also had 7 periods. I can sort of agree with the semester concept - longer class periods and all that. But I really have a problem with the lack of PE - kids like mine who live in the burbs and take a bus to school have no opportunity to walk - they need that exercise.
In addition, I wish that our kids:
1) Started school at 8:30 - 9 when the elementary kids start. It's SO hard to rouse teens!!!
2) Had a longer day. I think it would cut down on the number of kids who "get into trouble" (so much time, too little supervision - most families today need 2 incomes)
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Post by cybee on Sept 28, 2007 19:07:48 GMT -5
Yes, SE, that is how classrooms are here too. Actually, they start around 8 and go until 3:00 p.m. ! P.E. has been greatly diminished, and as you say, the way the States are generally made up...people have to drive in cars as opposed to walk to get places! Ergo lack of exercise! I see some cities have or are planning "walking communities" such as one I see being planned in Omaha, Ne. I really like being able to walk places as in Paris! Arts also, are definitely not stressed ...and yes, I completely agree..I would go for a later start (for those teens..I also have a sleepy headed in the a.m. ninth grade daughter!) and a longer day!
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Post by Shoesy on Sept 29, 2007 0:03:53 GMT -5
I think teens would be difficult to awaken no matter what time they had to get up.
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Post by Anne on Sept 29, 2007 6:49:33 GMT -5
Sister, are you saying by "4 classes" that your daughter only has 4 different subjects per semester, or did I misunderstand you  That sounds incredible to me . The subjects that my 13 years old twins have every week throughout the year are (ready ?) : French, English, German, Spanish, History+Geography+Civic Education, Maths, Physics + Chemistry, Technology, Natural Sciences, Physical Education, Arts, Music and Religion !!!! OK, Spanish was optional and they only have to learn Religion because they attend a Catholic school (no religion in public schools) . But so they end up with 32.5 hours per week, on four days and a half, plus rather heavy homeworks . All kids have more or less those same lessons as described above until they are two years before the Baccalaureat (end-of-school national exam), when they have to specialize . Kids who plan to go on to University or such usually specialize either in Litterature or Economy or Maths & Sciences . But even then the same thing happen : for example those who specialize in Maths & Sciences will still have to learn subjects like French, Philosophy, two foreign languages, History & Geography,... The good point with that system is that the kids get more cultured and open-minded than if they studied less subjects . The bad point is that they are over-burdened with work and they don't even perform very well in international comparison studies like OECD's because they learn so many different things that they are not that good in the basics . OK, that was Professor Anne explaining you some of the French school system  |
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Post by sistereurope on Sept 29, 2007 9:37:22 GMT -5
Well I appreciated that lesson, Professor Anne!
Yes, our kids have 4 classes per semester. For example, this semester my daughter is taking Algebra I, American Government, Phys Ed and this class called Tech Ed, which is kind of like basic engineering with a little carpentry (it is a requirement). Then halfway through the year she will switch and take English (or language arts, as it's often called), Spanish, Science and Theater Arts (her "elective").
Over here, kids accumulate "credits" - they have to have a certain number of credits to graduate. For example, they need one PE credit, 1 Foreign Language credit, 4 English credits, 3 Math credits, 2 Science credits etc. Once they attain their required credits they can take "elective" courses - my daughter is in the theater program, so she'll probably take several theater electives. They do receive credits for these classes, but they HAVE to have credits in the major subjects to graduate. They also have to pass these exams called the "HSAs", or High School Assessments.
I just read your post to my husband and he was amazed! He said "they take 4 languages?" He said to tell you that your kids are VERY fortunate - they might complain about the amount of work, but they will leave school with a well rounded and cultured education. Take my daughter - after this year, she will have no more PE, and probably no more Spanish...with 4 classes per semester, she can only fit so many things in her schedule. That's why I really wish that the school day was longer - they sure could use the extra time!
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Post by geordy on Sept 29, 2007 10:03:36 GMT -5
Wow, things sure have changed in high school!!
I remember having 9 periods a day...probably 6 classes(English, History, a language. a science, a math, and gym if you were in the College prep) 2 study periods, and lunch. They also had elective chorus things during half of your lunch. Seniors were generally scheduled a 9th period study hall...and you could leave early(with parental permission granted at the start) or start after school(clubs, sports,) activities. You could also skip a study hall and schedule another elective (I took typing for college prep(as opposed to the ole secretarial route!))
The day began btw 8 and 8:30 and ended btw 3 and 3:30.
Of course this was "once upon a time!'
But I do not get the lack of mandatory gym with all the obesity statistics!!!
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Post by Jody on Sept 29, 2007 10:50:50 GMT -5
I was thinking the same thing. We took English, Latin and French (or Spanish or Russian), history, civics and mathmatics. The last 2 years you could drop the Latin and the second language and chose 2 electives.
I don't recall if we had PhysEd in high school. I went to a girl's school so we had no teams or bands and I know we had no study halls, just classes all day from 8 until 3:30.
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Post by Anne on Sept 29, 2007 10:57:52 GMT -5
Thank you for your lesson on the US system, Sister  Well, I think that USA is too little and France is too much on that subject ... One question : do the kids have to achieve a minimum mark in one class to get the related credit, or do they just have to attend the class and then they get the credit even if they have been performing very badly ? I assume that answer is N°2, but just making sure ... |
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Post by annettecinca on Sept 29, 2007 11:40:34 GMT -5
Anne, in the US the kids do have to earn a minimum grade in each class to pass and receive the credits.
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Post by Anne on Sept 29, 2007 11:55:21 GMT -5
Thank you Annette, that sounds reasonable enough ...
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Post by susanb on Oct 1, 2007 16:56:10 GMT -5
I don't know a lot about the requirements of graduation anymore, but I do know a little bit about times and holidays. My son has graduated but there are many children still in school in our neighborhood. All schools start about 7:30-7:45 and get done between 3:00-3:45. The small children in elemetary school and this makes me crazy, get 20 minutes for lunch and playtime, then its back to class. High school students get 30 minutes. Our children go to school M-F. They do have a lot of homework...it makes me wonder what they do all day in school. We have very high standards and requirements for going on to college.
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hahahha