Le calendrier de l’enseignement supérieur devrait s’aligner davantage sur celui de l’enseignement obligatoire : à partir de quand et comment ?

3 comments

1. Since the reform of school timetables in compulsory education and the introduction of a new school calendar, the question has arisen of also adapting the calendar of higher education (colleges and universities). Valérie Glatigny (MR), the Minister of Higher Education has launched a consultation in the sector. This Tuesday, February 14, ARES, the Academy of Research and Higher Education, which brings together players in higher education, looked into the subject. A proposed schedule was on the table. Sources familiar with the matter, contacted by our editorial staff, there is no agreement yet because a number of points still need to be discussed. A next Ares board of directors will meet at the end of March.

   Here is the proposed reform of the calendar in higher education which is currently under study, as it appears in the documents that our editorial staff has been able to consult. This reform would come into force, at best, in 2025-2026. An academic year would be divided into three “periods”.
   #Back to school on the last Monday of August

   The first period would begin at the start of the academic year and would last 19 weeks. During this period, at least 12 weeks must be devoted to learning. The other seven weeks will include periods of study, remediation and evaluation. Establishments to get organized.

   The start of the school year would be set at the same time as that of compulsory education, i.e. the last Monday of August. If this last Monday of August were to fall on August 30 or 31, the start of the school year would be brought forward to the penultimate of August.

   On the occasion of the autumn holiday (Toussaint) provided for in compulsory education, higher education establishments could suspend certain learning activities.

   During the following weeks, and before the winter holidays, the higher education establishments would organize the evaluations, probably preceded by a period of “blockade”.

   In any case, higher education students would be, like the youngest, on winter vacation, during the Christmas and New Year holidays. It would be a real holiday, since the January evaluations would have been moved before the end of the year holidays.
   #A second period from January to the end of May

   After the winter break, students would leave for a second block of 20 weeks. That would bring them around May 20. During this period, as at the beginning of the academic year, 12 weeks would be devoted to learning. The rest would be used for study, remediation and evaluations.

   Higher education establishments would retain the possibility of suspending classes when compulsory education students are on leisure leave (Carnival).

   The spring break period (ex-Easter holidays), now shifted to the end of April-beginning of May, could, for example, coincide with a period of blockade for higher education students. Indeed, before the end of this second block of 20 weeks, higher education institutions should have organized the exam session. Around May 20, the assessments and deliberations should be complete.
   #A third period from the end of May to the end of August

   The third block would last for 13 weeks. It would mainly concern students who, after the second block exam session, would be in a situation of failure and would have to resit exams.

   It is for these students that the biggest change would take place. The second exam session would no longer take place at the end of the summer as it currently does. It would happen before July.

   Indeed, the third period would open on a block of six weeks during which remedial sessions, the second session of examinations and deliberations would be organized. In any case, everything would be finished on Friday of the second week of July.

   On this date, all students would know if they passed their year or not.

   The project discussed by the Academy of Research and Higher Education (ARES) provides that students would be available anyway to, for example, perform summer jobs such as supervising internships or sports activities.

   The period extending from the beginning of July to the following academic year would also be reserved for internships and end-of-study dissertations for the students concerned.
   #A necessary transition period

   Such a calendar reform requires a transition period before being implemented. However, higher education stakeholders have not yet agreed on the terms of this transition period. For example, will the latter last for one year or will it be spread over two years?

   During the last academic year before the entry into force of the new calendar, it would be necessary, in particular, to make adjustments to avoid

2. Finally an end to studying during Christmas and the summer holidays? That sounds quite nice.

3. As the academic corps will very unlikely make things easier for students, this will mean some bad effects.

   A big crunch will happen in November to fit all the content and almost no time to study. I don’t see how Saint Nicolas could be celebrated.

   It will be very “nice” spending vacation knowing that you already failed and will very likely fail again because of the resitting exams schedule.

   Failing in end May will mean failing again in July. How can you expect an exhausted student to learn and understand in three weeks the content they failed… Maybe the intent is to make them drop out earlier… Again very “nice” vacation after the slaughter