For the CEB in the 6th year of primary school, pupils will now need to achieve at least 50% in each subject and an overall average of 60%. For the CE1D in the 2nd year of secondary school and the CESS in the 6th year, the threshold will be set at 60% per test.
This choice aims to restore a taste for effort and safeguard the value of diplomas. Today, a very large majority of pupils (around 90%!) pass the CEB, but many then encounter difficulties as soon as they enter secondary school. This is not about punishing pupils, but about better preparing them by ensuring they truly master basic skills, reading, spelling and arithmetic, before moving on to secondary school. Why? Because untreated difficulties tend to worsen over time.
This reform is part of a coherent vision of education championed by the Mouvement Réformateur: a demanding and empowering school. Setting clear objectives means giving every pupil the chance to gauge their progress, improve and surpass themselves. High standards are not a barrier, but a lever for success.
Of course, demanding more only makes sense if those struggling are better supported. That is why this raising of thresholds comes with concrete measures to support pupils throughout their schooling. From the 4th year of primary school, the CLE test (Calculate, Read, Write) will make it possible to identify difficulties earlier. At the same time, personalised support for pupils will be strengthened, with additional resources (460 full-time equivalents) in primary school and at the start of secondary school, to help every pupil. In practice, this means, for example, two teachers in a classroom to look after groups of pupils at different levels.
Reinforced support is also planned for the 1st year of secondary school for pupils who failed the CEB (or one or more parts of it). The staffing resources previously allocated to the differentiated stream will be maintained.
This reform is also based on renewed trust in our teachers. Class councils and school juries are being retained, whereas the Pact planned to abolish them. They retain full autonomy to assess individual pupils' progress and make the most appropriate decisions. Evaluation remains in the hands of professionals on the ground, closest to pupils' realities. That is also why parents' appeals will no longer be automatic.
We are also reintroducing the possibility of repeating the 6th year of primary school in order to consolidate knowledge that is too fragile, with tailored support, before continuing one's studies. We want to avoid automatic progression from one year to the next, which discourages teachers and does not encourage a sense of effort.
Through this reform, the MR reaffirms that school must both foster responsibility and provide support. It must give pupils the means to succeed, while also guaranteeing that diplomas certify a genuine level of competence.
Raising the pass thresholds means choosing clarity, high standards and trust in our teachers. It marks the difference, fundamental for the MR, between “moving from one year to the next” and “passing one's year.”