Shorter days at school planned
Education minister Luc Chatel has been advised to change the school week as pupils are “too tired” to study
SHORTER summer holidays, shorter days and a five-day school week are planned in the new report on the school year that has been handed to education minister Luc Chatel.
Just two years after the present rythmes scolaires were imposed in the rentrée in 2008, the committee said the present school day was “too tiring” for pupils.
It made for an exhausting school week that gave pupils too heavy a workload. There was also no good reason for the first term being so long.
Changes imposed to help with homework in school and personal support had also served only to lengthen the day for pupils and staff.
Mr Chatel has been told class time should be cut from six to five hours in primaire, with a break and with “homework” being included in class time, six hours of classes in collège and seven hours in lycée.
The committee rejected the idea of reverting to schooling on Saturday mornings, preferring classes on Wednesday instead.
It would also increase the number of weeks of schooling by cutting the summer holidays, although the rhythm of seven weeks of school, two weeks of holidays should be kept. The committee proposes two zones: one with holidays from July 1 to August 15 and the other from July 15 to September 1.
Details of the report have been revealed by broadcaster RTL, which said it had managed to obtain a copy.
It has wide-ranging implications for schools and teachers, businesses and staff and the tourism industry. Mr Chatel is expected to launch extended consultations and has already said there will be no change before the rentrée in 2013
