AUGUST 2009
According to a Le Monde article , the 2008 TOEFL ranks France 69th out of 109 countries and 25th in Europe. This confirms the disastrous results of the 2002 European Assessment of English skills in which France came in last.
Response to above by the former president of the Association des Professeurs des Langues Vivantes (in which the messenger is attacked and the message ignored).
Official government text on "stages" (internships) for candidates registered for the competitive exams for teachers.
FEBRUARY 2009
Darcos' free vacation English classes for high school students begin in a fews lycées from TF1, from the government's website, from Liberation.
The reasons why Mathias Fink, Technological Innovation Chair at the College de France, supports the evaluation of researchers (enseignants-chercheurs) from Le Monde and my blog
The President of Paris V, Axel Kahn, abandons support for university reforms because "aujourd'hui, pour un président d'université, être le garant de la position du chef de l'Etat équivaut à se griller totalement" from L'Express
The reasons why "Sauvons L'université" opposes the masterisation from their website
Xavier Darcos' official texts concerning the modification of the competitive exam process from the government website
Paris IV (where I studied for the agrégation d'anglais) votes an unlimited strike in protest of the government's reforms to teacher training and competitive exams.
Reforms in teacher training provoke calls for unlimited strike in universities
Valérie Pécresse faces rebellion in the universities fromLibération
JANUARY 2009
"Education au coeur de la grève et des manifestions" from Le Point
Some (by no means all) primary school teachers call for civil disobedience and strikes to avoid having to give after school help to the students who need it most from L'independent.com. Here's an interesting analysis of this "revolt" from Riposte Laïque
Counterproposals to Darcos' reform from Le Figaro
"Pour «sortir par le haut» du blocage actuel, un collectif d'enseignants, de lycéens et de parents d'élèves expose sa vision du lycée du futur."
Questions about the "concours" for entering Science Po from Le Figaro"Après la fin du classement de sortie de l'ENA, Sciences Po va-t-il perdre son concours d'entrée ? Le sujet est en discussion au sein de la prestigieuse institution de la rue Saint-Guillaume, dont le directeur, Richard Descoings, est chargé par Nicolas Sarkozy de mener la concertation pour la réforme du lycée."
University presidents write to Sarkozy to denounce the reform from Le Monde
Organisations lycéennes et syndicats d'enseignants mobilisés dès la rentrée from Le Monde
DECEMBER 2008
Les syndicats maintiennent la pression contre Darcos from Le Parisien (While not about English, the reaction to the proposed reforms--which Darcos has already agreed to postpone for a year--gives an idea of how difficult it is to change the system)
Are Competitive Culture Quizzes Discriminatory? In The Times
Under pression from the "street" and not fully prepared, Xavier Darcos cancels reform of the French lycée article from Le Figaro
SEPTEMBER 2008
Xavier Darcos veut des écoliers bilingues et propose des stages d'anglais pendant les vacances from Le Figaro
Xavier Darcos proposes intensive English lessons during school vacation from Le Monde
FEBRUARY 2008
Education Minister Xavier Darcos' plan for improving English article from Le Figaro
Other developments:
Removal of the leçon orale from the agrégation d'anglais
The famous lecture in French, one of the biggest obstacles for a native English speaker, has been removed from the agrégation externe d'anglais.
