The Minister of Education, Najat Vallaud Belcacem, has seen her proposed reforms to the secondary school system (collèges) come under fire from all sides, especially the UMP. Particular criticism has been aimed at what appears to be the removal of Latin and Greek from the compulsory syllabus.
The argument seems to be that these languages are the root of the French language and learning them help with understanding the native language. They will be integrated into a "ancient civilisations" module, with the option to learn them separately if the students opts to.
Other changes are to introduce more integrated modules, one being "the history of Islam", and some have suggested that this replaces Christianity, but in fact there is a module, studied a year earlier, "origins of Christianity and Judaism".
Many critics have pointed to the lack of French history in a chronological order (1066 and all that?), but in thematic blocks and especially what they see as an apologetic stance face à face with European colonialism.
Teaching of modern languages also is under fire, with some claiming that German will be dropped. But most pupils will have more hours per annum devoted to learning English and another language of choice. Colleges will have freedom to choose what subjects to offer in about 20% of the school year, not included in the "brevet" (school certificate in old parlance ).
All in all Mme Vallaud-Belkacem's reforms face a rocky passage, not least because 60% of French people are against it and the unions are already calling strikes.
"acta deos numquam mortalia fallunt" as our French friends would no doubt say.
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