French Post‐primary Education: what is left of the Haby reform

Abstract

It is in school-year 1980-1981-which coincides with year of presidential election-that Haby reform, introduced at beginning of President Giscard d'Estaing's term of office, is officially intended to be fully implemented throughout educational system. As its provisions were to be extended to successive classes from year to year, after its adoption by Parliament in July 1975, it was not intended to affect whole post-primary population until now. Hence time seems ripe for a reappraisal, both because reform can now be considered as completed, although its scope has been altered as a result of extensive rethinking, and because forthcoming electoral campaign will undoubtedly help focus attention on achievements and its shortcomings. fact, two organisations supporting majority, Movement of Liberal Teachers (Mouvement des Enseignants Libdraux) and Young Giscardians (Mouvements des jeunes giscardiens), held their summer schools (at Selestat in Alsace between 25th and 29th August and between Ist and 5th September 1980) in an attempt to provide extensive briefing for some hundred and fifty participants on rationale of educational policy practised during current septennat. Haby himself and his successor at Ministry of Education, Christian Beullac, outlined goals of present structure and appraised its results, before a largely sympathetic audience. Optimistically, minister concluded: In main, we have means (of giving) quality education (Le Monde, 6 September 1980). Criticisms were imputed to the obstinate refusal to understand reality, relinquishment of those values on which our fathers founded civilisation, systematic denigration of everything, intolerance and partisanship (Le Monde, 31 August-l September 1980). Strong words indeed: no doubt a foretaste of ideological interpretation which will be put on future dissent. Yet Haby reform was work of an educationist rather than product of political planning and can even be described as a reaction against technocratic bias of his predecessors. His ideas had matured over a period of ten years, while he was involved with consolidation of colldges d'enseignement secondaire (CESs), created by decree in 1963 while Fouchet was Minister of Education. These were comprehensive institutions to extent that they regrouped pupils belonging to same age group (11 to 13), though streaming along three 'tracks' was retained. The curriculum was a blend of primary and early secondary syllabuses, with 'transitional' forms (classes de transition) for less able pupils, incapable of following academic cursus (J. Capelle, Tomorrow's Education. The French Experience 1945-1964, 1966, p. 35). Thus introduction of a 'middle school', advocated since inter-war years on egalitarian grounds and which Fourth Republic had failed to effect despite a succession of projects and bills (W. R. Fraser, Education and Society in Modern France, 1963, p. 8 f.), was achieved under special powers granted to de Gaulle as president, so that no parliamentary debate took place.