On 2 April, on La Première radio, Françoise Bertieaux, Minister for Higher Education, responded to the concerns and criticism surrounding the reform of the Paysage decree, in the middle of the academic year. "Changing the rules now? Unfair and unworkable," she insists, highlighting the notable improvement in student success in January.
As for the alarmist figures, particularly the "70,000 students at risk" cited by the FEF, Françoise Bertieaux denounces a manipulation of the data. "Far-fetched projections based on a qualitative survey turned into quantitative data, carried out in 2021," she explains, describing the FEF's claims as "fake news" and calling for an approach based on reality rather than fear. The FEF's projection is in fact based on the assumption that no student would pass a single exam in the next two exam sessions, namely June and September. Yet the early trends are positive, with a 5% increase in the pass rate for the January session.
She dismantles the argument that a third of students would be ejected from the higher education system, highlighting the numerous "protective measures" built into the decree.
The Minister highlights the abundance of "catch-up systems" and the possibility of reorientation, pointing out that higher education institutions regularly decide to re-enrol non-fundable students who are on track for success, allowing them to continue their studies.
Françoise Bertieaux stresses the importance of proper prior guidance and greater support for success to offset inequalities from secondary school. Thus, 116 million euros a year are dedicated to helping students succeed and supporting those in difficulty.
In response to the change in attitude of certain political partners towards the decree, she can only see this as electoral opportunism ahead of 9 June.
While the Minister says she is open to discussion, she has no intention of changing the reform, which is already showing its benefits for students.