The Success of France’s Youth: Children of Algerian Descent in the Classroom

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory research is to elucidate the connection between the institution of the French educational system and its function as a vehicle of integration for the children of immigrants. Focusing on those of Algerian descent, this paper asks if and how the educational system is failing this particular demographic. By contextualising colonial France in Algeria, this paper shows the connection between history and the educational institution as it relates to contemporary French culture. This paper argues that the French educational system, although well established, does not recognise nor meet the needs of the multi-ethnic classroom. By identifying integration as a key player, this paper explores the relationships between citizenship and integration and how perceptions of both concepts are produced and reproduced in the school system. This paper notes the need for a shift in the current discourse for the “second generation” from one of “immigrants and immigration” to a more precise discourse on ethnic minorities.