Valérie Glatigny is preparing the next steps of the lower secondary education reform. The adjustments planned for the second and third years of secondary school pursue the same ambition as those in the first year of secondary school: giving every pupil solid foundations and the means to gradually discover their talents.
Strengthening language learning from the second year of secondary school
From the second year of secondary school, every pupil will learn two modern languages. Of these two languages, one must compulsorily be a national language, namely Dutch or German, with two hours per week. The aim is to avoid pupils leaving secondary education without ever having been introduced to a second national language.
Two periods of digital learning will also remain on the timetable. Continuing the activities now organised in the first year of secondary school, two days will be devoted to discovery and orientation: visiting a chocolate workshop, meeting a pharmacist to discuss their profession, or taking part in a careers and studies fair. These are all opportunities to broaden pupils' horizons and help them build their choices in a positive way.
In the third year of secondary school, exploring your interests to better choose what you enjoy
In the third year of secondary school, every pupil will be able to choose six hours a week of orientation activities, divided into two sets of three hours. Languages, applied sciences, technology, arts, health, environment or economic and social projects: these activities will allow young people to explore different fields and discover their abilities.
In addition, all pupils will also carry out an observation internship in a professional environment. These experiences will help them make an informed choice, without rigidly determining their orientation in the fourth year of secondary school.
Indeed, the reform gives more weight to pupils' interests. It also aims to make vocational education a positive choice, based on a pupil's desire and talents, rather than a fallback track because they failed in the general stream.
Supporting pupils
Personalised support, already organised in primary school and the first year of secondary school, will be extended to the second and third years of secondary school. An additional 14 million euros is planned by 2029 to support this extension, in addition to the 25 million euros for primary school and the first year of secondary school.
These resources will allow teams to intervene closer to the difficulties, notably by having two teachers work in the same class with the aim of consolidating our pupils' learning.
The abolition of automatic progression between the first and second years of secondary school will nevertheless make it possible to have a pupil repeat a year if their achievements do not allow them to continue their studies under good conditions. This choice is of course left to the discretion of teachers, who, let us remember, are evaluation professionals and know the strengths and weaknesses of their pupils.
Today, pupils take the CE1D, the first-stage certificate, at the end of the second year of secondary school. With the reform, certification will take place a year later, at the end of the third year of secondary school: the CESI, the lower secondary education certificate, will replace the CE1D to validate pupils' achievements at the end of this stage. The last CE1D session will therefore take place in June 2027. Pupils' educational path is thus clearly and pedagogically mapped out: the CLE test at the start of the fourth year of primary school, to check skills acquired by the end of the third year; the CEB at the end of the sixth year of primary school; the CESI at the end of the third year of secondary school; and the CESS at the end of the sixth year of secondary school.
These changes are set to come into force in the second year of secondary school at the start of the 2027 school year, then in the third year of secondary school at the start of the 2028 school year. A preliminary draft decree is expected to be put before the Government on 23 October.
Preserving jobs
The Pact for Excellence in Teaching, adopted in 2015, had anticipated a loss of nearly 1,400 full-time positions, affecting some 5,000 teachers, particularly in vocational education linked to the introduction of the common core in the third year of secondary school. To avoid these job losses, the Government has maintained orientation activities, and has also planned to keep the appointed and priority temporary teachers concerned in post (under a phase-out framework), as far as possible in their own schools. They will also be able to support pupils during their internships or organise collaborations with businesses to introduce them to different professions. The aim? To make work-linked learning a fully-fledged teaching method and to promote technical and technological courses by making access to them concrete.
The arrangements will be discussed with the Federations of organising authorities and the trade unions. The reform was also presented on 13 October to the advisory committee, which brings together school stakeholders, including representative associations of school heads, parents and pupils.
With a 2027 budget that no longer plans new savings in education, but rather gradual reinvestment and additional resources to support pupils, Valérie Glatigny intends to focus her action on the quality of our education system and preparing every young person for their future.