This column appears in “The World of Education”. If you are subscribed to Worldyou can subscribe to this weekly newsletter by following this link.
“The SNU is not told, it is lived”, proclaims one of the sites responsible for promoting universal national service. Will future advertisements for the SNU specify that it will live at the expense of student success?
For several weeks, a chorus has been gaining momentum on the compulsory generalization of the device, which takes place, even today, on school holidays. From now on, we are talking about eliminating two weeks of lessons for all students in 2of, so that they go to do their compulsory SNU. The semblance of generalization projects marks a total contradiction with public policies in the field of education and the priorities hitherto displayed.
Political leaders in our country have constantly celebrated, during the Covid-19 crisis, the opening of schools, including high schools. The political leaders of our country announce each year the “reconquest of the month of June”to really give all the school time necessary for the progress of the students.
Alas, each year, this month of June is not reconquered. Out of 36 official weeks of lessons in the school calendar, a pupil in 2of already only benefits from 29 or 30, in the best case until mid-June. Let’s move on to the many days and activities that again take away hours of lessons from these students.
The new SNU, if it is implemented, by depriving, in the long term, a whole generation of pupils educated in the private or the public of hours of French, mathematics, English, will only widen the inequalities school. It’s worse if you think that the SNU will withdraw hours of fundamental courses, already too few, and internships for students in 2of in the vocational stream, who are often the most socially disadvantaged and who need school support the most.
A generalization carrying inequalities
We know, every year, the loss of knowledge during school holidays. How to raise the level when the school year will only last for half a calendar year, because of the SNU? How to remedy the difficulties arising from the Covid and which our education system is struggling to fill? year of 2of is the last year of schooling without an exam, it is the last year to try to consolidate what has been learned in order to prepare for a busy terminal cycle.
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