Page 52 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 52
ear ly school leaving: contempor ary european perspectives
stronger) and called for the collaboration of all actors (inside and
outside of school). The strategy allowed/aimed for proliferation of
multi-professional ESL-prevention groups (group de prévention du
décrochage scholaire – GPDS) in all secondary schools. This group
brings together the head of an institution, school management, the
teaching staff, the conseiller principal d’éducation (CPE), the guid-
ance counsellor along with social and health workers. It aims to find
adequate support for the young. ESL-prevention groups across dif-
ferent schools vary greatly in their practices and modes of organisa-
tion; particularly in the level of teacher involvement and external ac-
tors (outside of school). ESL-prevention groups are closely linked to
the establishment of educational alliances; in fact, such groups may
be seen as an internal educational alliance. It seems that in the fol-
lowing years the challenge regarding multi-professional collabora-
tion will be to put into practice what has been envisioned in the na-
tional strategy and supporting documents.
Key words: France, policy measures, ESL statistics, multi-profession-
al ESL-prevention groups, ESL officer
Introduction
Embedded in the European context of the Europe 2020 strategy reducing
is one of the major issues of French society and, as such, a national prior-
ity (MEN, 2014a). The volume of different policy and operational docu-
ments on the topic of ESL in France is impressive, indicating this topic has
indeed received significant political, professional and public attention in
recent years. The process is ongoing, resulting in new policy and/or oper-
ational documents being published regularly (e.g. the ESL action plan for
2015/ 16, MEN, 2015a).
The aim of this article is to give an overview of the complex state of
affairs as well as recent trends regarding ESL in France. In the introduc-
tion, some characteristics of the French education system relevant to ESL
are presented (i.e. transitions, length of compulsory education, grade reten-
tion; for a literature review about relevant system characteristics, also see
EC/EACEA/Eurydice/Cedefop, 2014; NESSE, 2010; PPMI, 2014), including
some relevant recent reforms. This is followed by statistics on ESL and an
insight into the French ESL situation with a focus on multi-professional
collaboration related to ESL. The purpose of the article is to elucidate the
52
stronger) and called for the collaboration of all actors (inside and
outside of school). The strategy allowed/aimed for proliferation of
multi-professional ESL-prevention groups (group de prévention du
décrochage scholaire – GPDS) in all secondary schools. This group
brings together the head of an institution, school management, the
teaching staff, the conseiller principal d’éducation (CPE), the guid-
ance counsellor along with social and health workers. It aims to find
adequate support for the young. ESL-prevention groups across dif-
ferent schools vary greatly in their practices and modes of organisa-
tion; particularly in the level of teacher involvement and external ac-
tors (outside of school). ESL-prevention groups are closely linked to
the establishment of educational alliances; in fact, such groups may
be seen as an internal educational alliance. It seems that in the fol-
lowing years the challenge regarding multi-professional collabora-
tion will be to put into practice what has been envisioned in the na-
tional strategy and supporting documents.
Key words: France, policy measures, ESL statistics, multi-profession-
al ESL-prevention groups, ESL officer
Introduction
Embedded in the European context of the Europe 2020 strategy reducing
is one of the major issues of French society and, as such, a national prior-
ity (MEN, 2014a). The volume of different policy and operational docu-
ments on the topic of ESL in France is impressive, indicating this topic has
indeed received significant political, professional and public attention in
recent years. The process is ongoing, resulting in new policy and/or oper-
ational documents being published regularly (e.g. the ESL action plan for
2015/ 16, MEN, 2015a).
The aim of this article is to give an overview of the complex state of
affairs as well as recent trends regarding ESL in France. In the introduc-
tion, some characteristics of the French education system relevant to ESL
are presented (i.e. transitions, length of compulsory education, grade reten-
tion; for a literature review about relevant system characteristics, also see
EC/EACEA/Eurydice/Cedefop, 2014; NESSE, 2010; PPMI, 2014), including
some relevant recent reforms. This is followed by statistics on ESL and an
insight into the French ESL situation with a focus on multi-professional
collaboration related to ESL. The purpose of the article is to elucidate the
52
