WARY OF COMPETITION WHEN IT COMES to global markets, the French embrace it wholeheartedly in classrooms. As school pupils enjoy the end of their summer holiday, few will relish a return to their harsh grading system. Termly reports in secondary schools record pupils’ marks, in Cartesian fashion, to the nearest two decimal points. Every child knows how she compares with the average. A result at the school-leaving baccalaureat exam of 16 out of 20 is considered outstanding. For younger children, a process to test spelling is marked by progressively deducting points for every error, which can crush the grade down to zero, or even into negative territory.
Benoit Hamon, the education minister, thinks the system, at least for younger children, is too harsh. He argues that “in France we are defined by failure”, and this begins with poor grades. He wants schools to “stimulate instead of discourage” and to give pupils more positive feedback. Hamon has launched a review of the national grading system. It is due to report early next year.
The members concern seems to be over the stress and anxiety that harsh grading inflicts on French schoolchildren, and the lack of confidence it engenders in a country that’s already excessively pessimistic. Fully 75 percent of the children say they worry about getting poor marks in maths, for example, according to a study by the Paris-based OECD think-tank — marginally less than 78 percent in South Korea, and far above 46 percent in Sweden.
Last year, the education ministry reported on an experiment in middle schools, in which marks out of 20 were abandoned in favour of comments, or vague letter grades. Boys, the report noted, disliked a less competitive environment more than girls; stronger pupils disliked it more than weaker ones. But by creating less stress over failure, the report found, pupils were encouraged to take risks and participate in class, and often became more confident.
Curiously, it’s parents rather than pupils who most resist the absence of grades. They worry about over-protected children, and the difficulty of judging their progress. If Hamon is to get anywhere, he may find that his biggest obstacle is pushy parents.
(Excerpted and adapted from The Economist)