You might say that action and retreat are always successful. The announcement by the Minister of National Education, yesterday, of the return of compulsory mathematics education for all high school students from the first grade at the beginning of the 2023 academic year, was surprising. Not on the wise decision of Pap Ndiaye, three years after one of the most controversial actions in the reform of the Blanquer Secondary School, named after the former Minister of National Education at the time, Jean-Michel Blanquer, which provided for its removal from the common core. But rather than having a large part of the educational community through researchers and political opponents actually sounded the alarm before implementing reform on this great risk of high school students dropping out on the subject. There is also the danger that in the coming years there will be a shortage of a group of scientists badly needed by France, Europe and the world. But in the previous five-year period, with a large majority, the government and Emmanuel Macron I believed they had instilled science. This form of arrogance towards all that did not come from their circle of thought … Finally, after noticing a sharp drop in the number of students in mathematics in the last year. The dropout is particularly glaring among high school girls, and the inequality caused by this reform. A report from experts a few months ago calls for mathematics to be reintroduced. Not to mention, as stated in the ministry’s press release issued yesterday, Sunday, the impressive figure ” 25% of pupils who do not have the expected level in mathematics at the end of third grade “It’s time already” Matching all pupils with mathematics and promoting equality between girls and boys It remains to be seen how long it will now take to catch up with this stupidity… As writer Gilbert Sisbrun said: Only fools do not change, as fools say when they do. »
Abdul Samri