Peer Learning Activity (PLA)

Reducing early school leaving in France

PLA REPORT

16-19 April, Paris

The 2nd PLA organised as part of the activities of the Thematic Working Group on Early School Leaving (European Commission, DG EAC)

Contents

1 Introduction .........................................................................................................1 1.1 Structure of the PLA ................................................................................................................. 1

2 A brief background to ESL in France ......................................................................3

3 A brief synopsis of recent policy developments underpinning the current approach to ESL ....................................................................................................4

4 The French approach to ESL data monitoring, cross-sector collaboration and second chance education ......................................................................................5

4.1 The French approach of collecting data and monitoring ESL .................................................. 5 4.2 Cross-sector cooperation ......................................................................................................... 7 4.3 Second chance education ...................................................................................................... 14

5 Reflection and summary of the key lessons learnt ............................................... 21 5.1 Cross-sectoral cooperation .................................................................................................... 21 5.2 Second chance education ...................................................................................................... 21 5.3 Teachers and teacher training ............................................................................................... 22

1

1 Introduction

The second peer learning activity (PLA) of the Thematic Working Group (TWG) on early

school leaving (ESL) took place 16 – 19 April in Paris. It was hosted by the French Ministry

of Education with contributions from a number of key local actors. The PLA was attended by

stakeholders from 14 countries and representatives of the European Commission and two

pan-European NGOs also participated.

The PLA in France follows a series of activities currently being taken forward as part of the

TWG on ESL. This includes the Dutch PLA that took place 9 – 12 September 2012 and the

Peer Review that took place in Brussels in March 2013. It is the intention that the collective

outcomes of these activities will inform the first report of the TWG and recommendations on

comprehensive policies to tackle ESL.

There are a number of reasons why France and the region of Ile-de-France was chosen as

the location for the second PLA of the TWG. Firstly, in the context of the Europe 2020

strategy, France has set itself an ambitious target to limit the share of early school leavers

among 18-24 year olds to 9.5% by 2020 (compared to 10% for the EU headline target). In

addition, the French president has committed to reducing by half the number of young

people leaving the education system without qualifications by the end of 2017.

Secondly, the timing of the PLA in France is particularly significant. This is because of new

legislation in preparation that aims to guarantee success for all young people – not just those

who are at risk of ESL. The intentions of the legislation (summarised below and discussed in

more detail throughout the report) will have key implications for the education system and

the policy measures in place to address ESL in the future.

The law (not yet enacted when the report was being written) known as the loi de refondation

de l’ecole de la République is intended to provide a focus on the reform of teacher training

and pedagogic practices. It also focuses on supporting young people in their progression

and transition through the education system. It will also include a review of the curriculum to

ensure young people will be more qualified and more prepared to face social and

professional insertion. Significantly, through legislation the aim is to enhance partnerships

and collaboration between stakeholders at different levels. The main objective is to give

more meaning to learning and to ensure all young people benefit from the learning

opportunities available to them.

1.1 Structure of the PLA

The PLA was a three day event and was focussed on two key ESL policy dimensions:

The first day offered an opportunity for participants to learn more about different forms of

cross-sectorial cooperation by comparing and contrasting the French approach with the

solution adopted in Luxembourg.

The morning mainly consisted of a number of introductory presentations from the Ministry of

Education and the Associations of France Regions, outlining the main and intended policy

approaches in France to address early school leaving. This was followed by an introduction

to the French Inter-ministerial information exchange system (SIEI) and to the recently

established Platforms (known as plates-formes de suivi et d'appui aux décrocheurs – PSAD

for short) and new developments in the French ESL policy. This was followed by a

presentation from a TWG member from Luxembourg who provided an overview of

Luxembourg’s House of Guidance.

2

The afternoon was dedicated to cross-sector cooperation in practice comprising of

presentations and discussions with local authorities and other key relevant stakeholders.

Question and answer sessions were also included in the programme and towards the end of

the day; time was set aside to discuss the main conclusions of the day and to prepare for

day two.

The second day was dedicated to second chance education and included presentations

from the Ministry of Education and a presentation on the MOREA project as an illustration of

the Mission de lutte de contre le décrochage scolaire (MLDS). A TWG member from

Hungary complemented the morning session by providing a presentation on a second

chance education project in Hungary called the Dobbantó (Springboard) Programme. The

morning session also included discussions in groups in relation to École de la deuxième

chance and the EPIDE programme.

The afternoon of the second day consisted of ‘site visits’ to three second chance schools.

The final day was dedicated to reflection and discussion among participants. The session

began with a reflective account of the main characteristics and lessons learnt of the previous

two days. A presentation underlined the main links between practice examples experienced

during day two and current research findings of the French Institute of Education.

Participants were invited to reflect on the key learning points for their own country and also

on key messages related to the two priority topics of the PLA to inform the first report of the

TWG and recommendations on comprehensive policies to tackle ESL.

This paper summarises some of the key points put forward by the participants as key

learning points for both policy and practice for their countries. It also presents the French

approach to tackling ESL, on the basis of what was learnt during the event. The paper can

be read together with the background paper which presents an overview of the French

education system, the scale of ESL in France and key policies and systems created to tackle

ESL. It was written so as to familiarise participants with the French context before taking part

in the PLA. This report cannot take in account all recent changes and new developments in

relation to the setting up of the new law.

French PLA Background Paper

This paper has been structured in the following manner:

Section 2

•Provides a brief overview of the scale of ESL in France. It touches upon the level, nature and reasons relating to ESL however more detailed information can be found in the background paper.

Section 3

•Provides a brief synopsis of recent policy developments underpinning the current approach to ESL, highlighting in particular key changes that have taken place since the background paper was written in April 2013

Section 4

•Provides details of the French approach to ESL in relation to data collection system, cross-sector cooperation and second chance education and presents key discussion points and lessons learnt.

Section 5 •Presents a reflection and summary of the key lessons learnt during the PLA.

3

2 A brief background to ESL in France

This initial background part of the report provides a short factual introduction to the issue of

early school leaving in France. This is hoped to ‘set the scene’ for readers who did not take

part in the PLA in relation to what the scale of the problem is and whether there are certain

groups of young people affected more by ESL than others.

In 2012 the rate of ESL in France was 11.6 % according to Eurostat data1. This means that

France is below the EU27 average of 12.8 % but above the 10 % Europe 2020 benchmark.

As in other countries, early school leavers come from a broad range of backgrounds, though

there are specific groups of young people who are more at risk of dropping out than others.

In France, there is a larger share of male students leaving school early. In 2008 the ESL rate

amongst males was 13.5 % that increased to 15.2 % in 2010 however has since declined to

13.4 % in 2012. The share of female early school leavers has slowly increased over the last

decade, from 9.5 % in 2008 to 10.2 % in 2011, back to 9.8 % in 2012.

As described in more detail in the background paper, the problem of ESL is more

pronounced amongst pupils in upper secondary vocational education than those in

general/technical upper secondary. Students from lower socio-economic groups are 2.68

times more likely to have poorer outcomes than their peers from wealthy families, exceeding

the OECD average in this area (2.37 times). Labour Force Survey data shows that the risk of

ESL is much higher among foreign born pupils (21.9%) than among French nationals

(11.3%)2.

In France, ESL is considered to be the result of a combination of different factors3. It has

been recognised that more can be done to support teachers through training and mentoring

programs and to provide working conditions to improve and encourage innovative and

effective pedagogic practice – particularly in schools located in disadvantaged areas. In

addition, there is an increased commitment to raising the profile of vocational education and

improving careers information, advice and guidance to enable young people together with

their families to make informed and positive choices about their career destination.

In the recent past, concerns have also been raised about the extent to which learners with

additional educational needs are at higher risk of becoming early school leavers – this is

exacerbated by a focus on testing and monitoring of learners. It is recognised that more

needs to be done to address the impact of socio-economic factors on pupils’ performance

and close the gap between groups of high and low performing pupils4. Grade repetition has

also been identified as a key factor contributing to ESL. In France, over 25% of students

reported that they had to repeat a grade, in contrast to the OECD average of 13 %5.

Early school leaving has significant societal and individual costs in France. Early school

leavers have particularly poor employment prospects, due to the important role played by

qualifications and diplomas as credentials on the labour market. The general rise in

qualification levels across young people also means that even low-skilled jobs are

increasingly being filled by people with higher qualifications and therefore early school

leavers are at a further disadvantage.

1 Early leavers from education and training (formerly 'early school leavers') denotes the percentage of the

population aged 18-24 having attained at most lower secondary education and not being involved in further education or training. The numerator of the indicator refers to persons aged 18 to 24 who meet the following two conditions: (a) the highest level of education or training they have attained is ISCED 0, 1, 2 or 3c short and (b) they have not received any education or training in the four weeks preceding the survey. The denominator in the total population consists of the same age group, excluding the respondents who have not answered the questions 'highest level of education or training attained' and 'participation to education and training'. 2

Eurostat, Labour Force Survey. 3 Blaya, C (2010) Décrochages scolaires. L'école en difficulté, de Boeck, Bruxelles. See also Mission permanente

d’évaluation de la politique de prévention de la délinquance (2011) 4 OECD (2013). Do the average level and dispersion of socio-economic background measures explain France’s

gaps in PISA scores? 5

OECD (2009). Pisa Results.

4

3 A brief synopsis of recent policy developments underpinning the current approach to ESL

Since the background paper was written in April 2013 a number of policy developments and

subsequent names changes in relation to ESL have taken place. For the purpose of clarity

this section provides a short summation of the current situation and the main changes that

have taken place.

As reinforced during the PLA, meeting headline European and ambitious national targets to

reduce ESL requires a range of preventative, intervention and compensatory measures at

national, regional and local levels. Throughout the lifespan of successive governments, this

has subsequently resulted in new government initiatives, services and in improvements

being made to the mandate of existing approaches together with a stronger emphasis on

cooperation for better and more coherent efficiency. During the PLA participants were

presented with a wide range of approaches to tackling ESL, which have been developed

over the years. Participants learnt that there is now a much greater focus on coordinating

ESL policies and programmes that in the past have varied in their scope, objectives, funding

sources and degrees of visibility. In the absence of a systematic approach to evaluation, new

initiatives, policies and institutional actors often tend to be integrated into existing

structures/approaches. Efforts are in place to simplify where and how ESL policies and

programmes are located within the current administrative landscape.

The complexity of the administrative structure is arguably exacerbated by an inherent

tension between a traditionally centralised administrative model and more recent attempts

towards decentralisation, coupled with the need to optimise resources. This has resulted in a

move towards a more coordinated approach to reduce ESL. In doing so, France has opted

for a network approach as an attempt to achieve greater collaboration across a range of key

stakeholders and in an attempt to simplify access to services by early school leavers

themselves. As experience during the PLA, the Platforms (Plates-formes de suivi et d'appui

aux décrocheurs) represent one such example of this approach (described in more detail in

section 4.2.2.). Additionally and more recently, the Ministry of Education established the

FOQUALE network with a key aim to better coordinate all actions and actors that fall under

its responsibility (discussed in more detail in section 4.2.5).

For the purpose of clarity it is important to highlight recent name changes that have taken

place: These changes mean that each structure quoted below have been reinforced to get

ensure greater visibility within the educational system and to allow for and promote new

actions for tackling ESL.

■ Mission de lutte de contre le décrochage scolaire – (MLDS) - Previously known as

General Integration Mission - la mission générale d'insertion - (MGI)

■ FOQUALE network - Previously known as Reseau de la nouvelle change and later the

'ROFE' network

■ Groupe de lutte contre le décrochage scolaire (GLDS) - Previously known as Le

groupe d'aide à l'insertion (GAIN)

In light of new legislation currently in preparation it is important to note that further policy

developments and names changes may occur in the near future depending on the evolution

of parliamentary debates.

The next part of the report now presents the main aspects of the PLA. It begins with an

overview of the French approach to collecting data and monitoring ESL. This is followed by

an overview of cross-sector collaboration to tackling ESL and finishes with an overview of

what was presented during the PLA in relation to France’s approach to second chance

education. Each section is followed by a reflection of the key discussions and lessons learnt

as put forward by participants as key learning points for both policy and practice for their

respective countries.

5

4 The French approach to ESL data monitoring, cross-sector collaboration and second chance education

4.1 The French approach of collecting data and monitoring ESL

As discussed in more detail in the background paper, in France there are two different

national approaches to collecting data in relation to ESL, both differing in their scope, focus

and methodological approach. Firstly, data from INSEE (labour market survey) measures the

number of low-skilled people leaving school regardless of their age, i.e. those who

interrupted their initial education and training for at least one year in a given period and who

hold at most the national diploma called the Brevet awarded at the end of lower secondary

education. Young people with a CAP or BEP (vocational diploma) are not considered as low-

skilled.

Secondly, the SIEI gathers data from different government departments and produces

nominative lists of early school leavers. By way of distinguishing between the two different

types of national data collection, the INSEE allows for a long-term monitoring and evaluation

of ESL. The SIEI can be described as a tool for intervention, supporting the implementation

of compensation measures, more than a statistical instrument for monitoring and evaluation.

Its main purpose is to identify as quickly as possible those leaving school during the

academic year, in order for them to be contacted by the Platforms and to be offered support.

As indicated above, more information on the INSEE approach can be found in the

background paper.

4.1.1 An overview of the SIEI

The legal origin of the SIEI is based on the Law of 24 November 2009 and the plan 'Agir

pour la jeunesse' (Action for Youth) that set out the principles for identifying early school

leavers and organising the coordination of ESL at local levels. Circular n° 2010-028 of 9

February 2011 now provides the legal basis of the SIEI and the implementation of platforms

to monitor and support early school leavers. This is significant insofar that this legislation

now provides a legal requirement for data collection and for the coordination and

collaboration at local levels through the platforms (discussed in more detail below) in order to

tackle ESL.

In practice, the SIEI collects data from the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of

Agriculture schools as well as Apprentice Training Centres (Centres de Formation pour

Apprentis – CFA) and identifies pupils:

■ who are aged 16 and over6

■ who were in school the previous year for at least 15 consecutive days;

■ who have not obtained the qualification for the school course in which they

were enrolled the previous year;

■ who are not schooled on the date the SIEI data was processed

The system captures a snap shot twice a year – in October and in March on the basis of

information coming from schools’ databases. Data collected includes: name, address, details

of the person responsible for the pupil, and details of the last course attended7. On this

basis, nominative lists of early school leavers are produced. Following a verification phase

where schools have the opportunity to rectify the relevant list if necessary, in addition to

6 This age limit is important since, according to the law, until 16 the responsibility to keep/re-engage pupils is with

the schools through the role of the MLDS who assist schools and provide an advisory role) whereas after 16 the schools are no longer obliged to propose potential solutions to young people.

7 It was also was learnt that in relation to young people under the age of 18, certain information about the young

persons’ parent is held, though this is not the case for those who are over 18 years of age. Given that the SIEI applies to young people aged 16 and over, participants were reminded that the INSEE survey is in place to measure ESL across all age groups.

6

validation by the competent Académie, the lists are circulated across the 360 platforms that

are currently in place across France.

Access to the data is highly restricted and remains confidential. It is only accessible via the

RIO software to platform managers and key personnel within the government departments

associated with the SIEI.

The system is currently being further developed so as to allow the Platforms not only to

consult lists, but also to open an individual file on each young person appearing in the

system. It is hoped that the individual file will allow for a more systematic follow-up of each

case (e.g. how a young person has been approached and if support was accepted, e.g.

through an apprenticeship, training, returning to school, an employment opportunity or

second chance education, etc.).

In terms of maintaining information on young people, the SIEI system retains data for a

maximum of two years (as stipulated by the authority that protects data). During this two-

year period, the young person may pop up at different times and at which point the intention

is that they would be offered appropriate support.

Since its inception, the SIEI has conducted five snapshots to identify early school leavers.

The results of the first snap shot were presented in March 2011 reporting a total of 266,743

young people identified as early school leavers. The last data collected between October

and November 2012 shows that in total there were 186, 353 early school leavers. The

decline in the figures can be interpreted in different ways: higher effectiveness of

preventative measures; improvements in the system; increased awareness of principals in

terms of the importance of accuracy in data provided.

4.1.2 Key discussion points and lessons learnt in relation to monitoring ESL in France

On a positive note, the introduction of SIEI has been a contributing factor in stimulating

policy dialogue between central government, the regions, the Academies and key players at

local levels. It has promoted cooperation between the different actors involved, especially at

local level, and has been fundamental for launching the Platforms. It has also raised

awareness on the need to develop a common understanding and shared definitions among

different stakeholders in relation to ESL, and has encouraged the harmonisation of practices.

More generally, the evidence generated by the SIEI has been a contributing factor in making

the issue of ESL more publically visible. At a time of economic austerity, the data provided

by the SIEI is increasingly being used to inform parliamentary debates concerning funding

policy arrangements for existing and required initiatives to address ESL.

It is however recognised that the data sets generated through the SIEI are still developing

and improving with time and experience. As the categories for collecting data have been

refined there are already differences/improvements in the data produced thus far.

As with all systems for data collection, there remains an on-going issue about the accuracy

of the information the SIEI is able to generate. There is now greater acknowledgement and

understanding that the success of the Platforms very much relies on the accuracy of

information provided to the SIEI system. As such it is an on-going endeavour to ensure that

schools themselves continue their efforts to provide accurate data to ensure the reliability of

the system. Ensuring stakeholders understand and learn to use the system accurately has

been a major challenge and as such, considerable effort has gone into organising specific

training on use of the system.

In terms of the systematic collection of data, it was felt that there must be more frequent

snapshots of data being collected e.g. more than twice a year. Whilst cross-sector

collaboration is required by legislation and its success is enhanced and largely initiated by

ESL data generated through the SIEI system, concerns were raised about those young

people who were not being picked up through the SIEI system – particularly those who fall

outside the four criteria of the SIEI as outlined above, in particular those below 16 years of

age. It is noted that early school leavers below 16 are under the responsibility of the head

teacher and within schools, they receive support from the mission for tackling ESL (MLDS).

7

4.2 Cross-sector cooperation

The current policy response to ESL in France calls for cross-government commitment with

better collaboration across key stakeholders. Though the Ministry of National Education is

the main government department responsible for ESL, up to nine different Ministries are

involved in different aspects. To facilitate a cross-government approach to ESL, policy

dialogue across different Ministries is supported through regular consultation (inter-service

meetings take place every two months, and inter-service working groups) and national

seminars8. In part the cross-government approach reflects the fact that over a long period of

time there has been a succession of youth policies together with a whole range of measures

to support the least employable young people and the most disadvantaged youth.

The report will now present a brief overview of the main approaches to cross-sector

cooperation that were presented during the PLA. These will then be followed by a reflection

of the key discussions and lessons learnt as put forward by participants.

4.2.1 Cooperation at local level : the Platforms - Plates-formes de suivi et d'appui aux décrocheurs

At the heart of cross-sector cooperation in France are the Platforms (Plates-formes de suivi

et d'appui aux décrocheurs). The main aim of the Platforms is to re-group all actors active

with early school leavers and disengaged learners within a certain territory, with a view to

offering coordinated and tailored solutions to young people. The need to make better use of

the available resources and to ensure there is greater capacity to offer young people a

broader variety of solutions whilst retaining a single entry point for young people to easily

access solutions are amongst the main triggers of the Platforms. Prior to their creation,

although different actors were active at local level to support early school leavers, the

individual follow-up could be very different depending on the nature of the organisation the

young person initially contacted. In addition, intervention would only typically take place

following a request from the young person voluntarily presenting themselves. With the

current Platform arrangements, a more proactive approach is in place, designed to ensure

that the services and solutions are much more far reaching, particularly to those who would

not come forward for help and could therefore be potentially otherwise lost in the system.

The Platforms are under the responsibility of ‘le préfet de departement’ (the prefect of the

département). They involve several ministries and a number of actors:

■ The Ministry of Education together with the actors placed under its responsibility (such

as the MLDS, the network of Information and Guidance Centres (CIO), the GRETA

network for adult education, the newly created FOQUALE network).

■ The Ministry of Agriculture

■ The Ministry of Interior

■ The Ministry of Employment: such as ’Les missions locales’ (Local Missions)

■ The Ministry of Defence

■ The Ministry of Justice

■ The Ministry of Urban affairs

■ The Ministry of Youth affairs, Sports and Community life

■ The Territorial authorities

■ Others – representatives from local associations such as ‘street educators’ or youth

workers may also be associated with the Platforms for example.

Approximately 2/3 of the Platforms are managed by the head of the CIO and a ‘Comité

technique de pilotage’, with procedures in place for all represented partners to meet every

8 The EPIDE programme, which will be discussed more in detail in the section of the report that focuses on

second chance education, is another example of cooperation between different Ministries (here the Ministries responsible for defence and for employment) and the local level (cities)

8

two weeks. The Platforms work on the basis of data received via the SIEI twice a year, but

also use information continuously collected by partner organisations.

Essentially, the role of the Platform is four-fold:

Once the nominative lists of early school leavers have been made available by the SIEI, the

Platforms make preliminary verifications with the school of origin to get more information on

the pupil, and then contact early school leavers individually and invite them to attend an

interview. The interview is aimed at identifying the reasons why the pupil has dropped out,

understanding his/her aspirations and defining possible solutions (returning to education;

training via apprenticeship or to undertake a work placement for example). The case is then

discussed by the ‘Comité technique de pilotage’ who then agrees on the most suitable

solution to be provided and hence a decision on the most appropriate partner organisation

where the young person will be referred.

As regards timing, current legislation requires that information from the SIEI is transmitted to

the Platforms for immediate support measures to be put in place. Once a young person has

been identified through the SIEI and invited to an interview, a solution must be offered to

them.

In terms of young people who cannot be reached at all or who fail to attend scheduled

interviews, the Platform tries to obtain information from other sources such as youth services

for example. In the case where a young person refuses to accept the solution offered to

them, they are referred back to the Platform where every effort is made to identify alternative

solutions. Maintaining accurate contact details of young people is an on-going problem and

represents a key obstacle to reaching and effectively re-engaging early school leavers. The

box below provides an example of a Platform in practice as presented during the PLA.

The Académie of Versailles hosts 22 platforms. The platform of Cergy Pontoise in

particular covers 31 collèges, 14 lycées, 4 apprenticeship centres, one Lycée de la

nouvelle Chance, 1 university, 15 training structures and 12 higher schools. Of the

young people they support, 30% are disadvantaged pupils.

Following data provided by the SIEI last November 2012, the Cergy Pontoise

Platform found that 30% of pupils were unreachable, for 60% had already found a

solution (other forms of education and training opportunities identified through other

means). Only for the remaining 10%, the Platforms has to find suitable solutions.

This example serves to highlight that in practice the Platforms identifies the ESL but

do not necessarily work with all early school leavers : in some cases, as in the case

represented here, the Platform is in fact only working with a small proportion of

young people. (10% here). Solutions are identified with the support provided by the

Platforms and a period of monitoring time is spent before the young ESL is offered a

tailored solution. The positive key aspect is that the Platforms are relevant for young

people having difficulties to find solutions without extra support.

During the presentation of the Cergy Pointoise Platform, key advantages about cross

sectorial cooperation were highlighted: sharing practices, exchanging different points

of view concerning ESL cases presented during the regular meetings. It was noted

that the case of a young person is discussed from different perspectives to ensure

there is a clear understanding of the specific needs of the young person and

therefore to ensure the most suitable solution can be identified.

It was further reported that key success factors include reaching those young people

who have no contact point; developing the network in a way that actively and

positively engages partner involvement in providing solutions for young people.

9

4.2.2 The Mission to tackle early school leaving (MLDS)

Within the Ministry of National Education, the Mission to tackle early school leaving (Mission

de lutte de contre le décrochage scolaire – MLDS) is in charge of preventing ESL and

helping school-leavers to return to school or begin training (intervention)and also plays an

important role in the Platform (compensation). MLDS is a mission based on a network of 750

professionals called ’coordinators’ providing advice to schools9 and support to early school

leavers. MLDS is at the interface between schools and the platforms; and also plays a

crucial role in prevention by providing pedagogical advice and support to schools.

MLDS prevention activities largely take place in state schools and take the form of personal

scene-setting interviews with the young person ’at risk’, aimed at identifying problems and

training opportunities, including directing the young person to other diploma/qualification

based training. MLDS can also develop specific training modules which are then taught

within the school (‘modules d’insertion’; ‘remise à niveau’), including work-based learning

experience (’stages de decouverte’).

Through the MLDS, ESL referral contacts (known as RDS) are (for some schools) and will

be appointed (for others) in schools with high rates of ESL at the start 2013- 2014 school

year. Multi-agency teams (known as GLDS – Groupes de prevention du decrochage

scolaire) are also in place within the schools as part of MLDS activities to prevent ESL and

have a key role to play in identifying and supporting pupils who are demotivated as well as to

support the integration of newcomers. MLDS provides support and advice both to the RDS

and to the GLDS.

4.2.3 Mission Locales pour l’emploi - Local missions

The Local Missions are under the responsibility of the Employment Ministry, regional and

local authorities. They work in close partnership with the local labour market to support the

professional development and employability skills of young people aged 16-25 who have left

school. The Local Missions have a global approach to early school leavers and offer:

■ Free monitoring

■ Help to build up their professional project

■ Help with any personal/social problem (such as access to their rights and access to

health care)

■ An opportunity to develop relationships with companies.

It is noted that the Local Missions have established partnerships with sponsors/mentors in

local companies and with recently retired business people to provide training and coaching

to young people. These people are typically unpaid volunteers but are part of a range of

opportunities that are available to support young people developing the skills they need to

become active in the labour market. To provide an example with related figures, the Mission

Locales of Cergy-Pontoise for example welcomes 1800 young people per year and follows-

up approximately 4000 young people - among these, 63% have a level lower than the

baccalaureate secondary education diploma

4.2.4 FOQUALE Network (Training, qualification and employment)

Following the French Minister of Education’s commitment to reduce the number of early

school leavers by half, the target for 2013 is to offer 20 000 early school leavers a solution

that is linked to a qualification outcome. As part of this drive, the Ministry of Education has

9 In order to meet the obligation of monitoring pupils who have left school without any qualifications for at least

one year – a requirement made incumbent upon schools by the law of 24 November 2009 – heads of schools are responsible for directing such pupils to the MLDS, either during the year following dropout or during their schooling (in the event of temporary dropout or failure in examinations without any possibility of retaking the year).

10

introduced a network of training, qualification and employment (FOQUALE10

) with a key aim

to better coordinate all actions and actors under its responsibility.

For the purpose of clarity the FOQUALE network is the new name for the ROFE network that

were essentially known as ‘new chance’ networks comprising of key stakeholders within a

certain area who were responsible for providing solutions for young people.

As illustrated in the diagram below, the purpose of the FOQUALE network is to support

young people to re-engage in positive learning/employment opportunities and to encourage

the pooling and sharing of good-practice. In doing so the network is responsible for

developing remedial measures to support young people and works in tandem with the 360

platforms to ensure appropriate solutions are coordinated, developed and made available to

early school leavers at a local level.

It is intended that a personalised approach is offered to each young person with dedicated

support from a designated tutor who is from a school/institution that forms part of the

network. In partnership with the Ministry for Sport, Youth and Popular Education the

FOQUALE network also identifies opportunities for young people to develop their vocational

skills through civic service-training provision. Other solutions are offered to ESL such as:

■ Actions proposed by the Mission for tackling ESL

■ Available places’ in the different lycées - at the beginning of school year, each higher

secondary school identifies available places to provide young people with an opportunity

to re-engage in a school course according to his/her choice;

■ The Civic Service

■ The centre of apprenticeship

■ The Micro-lycées

■ Social Clauses in public procurement contracts. This disposition allows a youngster

secure a training opportunity within a company who is then monitored by two referents

(national education referent and company referent).

To ensure the FOQUALE network is easily accessible to young people, a catalogue of all

education and training opportunities is being made available to young people. This

information will be accessible through a website ‘masecondechance’ that lists opportunities

by geographical area. Although participants were able to develop a sense of the range of

different solutions available to young people across the platforms through the FOQUALE

network and the local missions, there were important questions about the extent to solutions

can really meet the need of those young people who do not wish to re-engage. In this case

was highlighted that more time should be spent in monitoring the youngster to help him/her

build-up their own project.

10

Formerly known as « Reseau de la nouvelle chance » and later « Reéseau emploi/formation » - ROFE.

11

Figure One: FOQUALE Network (Training, qualification and employment)

12

4.2.5 House of Guidance in Luxembourg

The approach taken in Luxembourg to develop and enhance cross-sector collaboration was

also presented by one of the TWG members from Luxembourg.

By way of a brief overview, based on the recognition that poor information, advice and

guidance is a key contributing factor leading to early school leaving, there was an initial

proposal to develop a new guidance entitlement law and establish a single guidance service.

Following some initial reluctance from the different actors to merge activities on a legal basis,

it was agreed that the guidance entitlement law would be put to one side and that the House

of Guidance would be created, thereby representing a compromise between the initial

ambition and the former situation.

The purpose of the House of Guidance is to provide information and guidance to both adults

and young people about career opportunities and support services. It combines five different

services and involves three different ministries (education and vocational training; work and

employment; family and integration) who are now physically located in one building. Staff

working in the House of Guidance also includes social pedagogies and psychologists. Young

people can access services through a free hot line, or through one-to-one careers advice

meetings and services are also extended to parents. In addition the House of Guidance

provides a service whereby visits are made to schools to offer careers advice at key points

when young people are required to make future career decisions. Through the ALJ (as a

partner organisation of the House of Guidance) every early school leaver is followed-up.

The House of Guidance is supported by a steering committee and a ‘coordinator’ who acts

as a mediator between the different services with a view to ensuring high level transparency

in and across all activities. Though the House of Guidance has not been developed on a

legal basis as such and there is no common budget, cooperation between the different

actors is voluntary and collectively they are working together to develop a new common

identity for the benefit of young people and their families.

13

4.2.6 Key discussion points and lessons learnt in relation to cross-sector collaboration

5 By way of providing an initial comparison of the approach to cross-sector collaboration in

France and in Luxembourg, participants observed that the main focus in the Luxembourg

“Maison de l’Orientation” is more related to prevention and intervention and targets both

young people and their parents. The approach of the platforms in France on the other hand

is more compensatory which then incorporates a wide range of actors and different

initiatives. Key to the success of both approaches however is the political commitment of the

Ministries involved and the commitment of the different services provided.

Key to success in Luxembourg in particular is that the produces and services provided by the

House of Guidance (that involves input from three different ministries) is coordinated by a

Steering Committee and as such the Committee facilitates a greater understanding of the

different roles, responsibilities and limitations of all key actors involved. Being located within

the same building is one obvious way of encouraging greater collaboration, though

participants recognised this is not always feasible in many countries.

From the French approach, participants were struck by the systematic approach to collecting

data, bringing key stakeholders together through the Platforms, a customised learning

approach and through an initial diagnosis with the young people, the approach to finding a

solution more matched to the needs of the learner. Questions were raised about the capacity

of the Platforms to reach the most hard to reach learners.

Through the current education reforms, there is an attempt to revisit the paradigm between

young people, teaching and learning in recognising the need to develop the notion of a

school that is more well-meaning and responsive to the individual learning needs and well-

being of each individual. With an implied greater emphasis on prevention, addressing the

impact of social background on educational achievement is a key priority for the Ministry.

Ensuring all children have access to quality ECEC was asserted as being the first stone of

prevention and a key point to reinforce the French Republican values of liberty, equality and

fraternity that is said to be at the heart of supporting young people become active citizens.

The idea of a well-meaning approach to learning designed on the basis of Republican values

is intended to provide for a trans-disciplinary approach that allows young people to develop a

relationship with knowledge and to acquire skills and competences that enable them to

engage in lifelong education, training and employment opportunities.

Given the tradition and structure of the school system and factors that have contributed to

ESL in France (as discussed in more detail in the background paper), e.g. the need for

teacher training, access to VET, improved guidance and orientation and the need to limit

grade repetition), there are high hopes for the proposals set out in the current education

reform programme, though participants do not underestimate the challenges ahead. The

main line of argument asserted here is that there is a much greater need for more robust

measures to prevent ESL within mainstream education rather than measures that are too

late. As such, one of the main issues of the new law is to focus also on ESL prevention.

As discussed above, the platforms, the MDLS and the FOQUALE network bring together key

stakeholders from the education community, the business world and other actors to ensure a

wide range of suitable opportunities and solutions are available to young people. It was

recognised however that the links between education and employment must be

strengthened. This will be the aim of ‘Le nouveau parcours d’information et d’orientation et

de découverte du monde économique et professionnel’ (the new path of information and

guidance and discovery of work and the business world) that is set-up throughout upper

secondary school (lycée). Whilst the new FOQUALE network will go some way to

strengthening these links, participants learnt that teachers themselves have an important

role to play and they too need to be supported in their understanding of the relationship

between social and educative processes and work production.

In addition there were key questions about the support teachers receive in their role in

supporting young people who have been identified as or at risk of ESL. Participants learnt

that teachers who are identified as the main ESL reference contacts to deal with ESL are not

necessarily provided with additional training, though as part of the current education reforms,

plans are underway to review initial teacher training and the continued professional

development of teaching staff. It is intended that the ESL referral contacts will be a teacher

14

or member of staff from within the school who will be main person identifying and supporting

those at risk of ESL. As a key and integral part of cross-sector collaboration, it is fully

recognised that teachers will be required to undergo training to ensure that they are

equipped with the skills and expertise to identify and support young people experiencing

social and economic difficulties that impacts of education participation and attainment.

With limited and competing resources within schools, participants raised real concerns about

the capacity within schools to adopt more diversified strategies and multi-disciplinary

approaches to prevent ESL and to support young people in their return to education and

training opportunities.

Although participants experienced at first hand the dedication and commitment from

teachers (particularly those in second chance education as discussed below), there remains

concerns amongst the participants about the more widespread scope for innovative

pedagogic practice, the potential for capacity building from within the school to support early

school leavers, together with the broader capacity to attract and retain the most experienced

teachers in disadvantaged areas1112

.

5.1 Second chance education

It is widely understood and acknowledged that the profile of an ESL is complex and as such

it is expected that there are several steps involved in supporting the needs of young people.

As was emphasised during the PLA, learners do not always follow a linear path as some of

the issues young people face are much more peripheral and complex. As part of the current

education reform taking place in France, strategies are being developed to further improve

the prevention of ESL and to ensure ESL is detected at an early stage and acted upon

accordingly and promptly. As discussed in the previous section, this includes improving

teacher training and ensuring dedicated personnel from within the school itself are in place to

support young people who are identified as potential early school leavers and indeed those

young people who return to education.

For young people who have become ESL, participants were exposed to a wide range of

second chance education opportunities available to young people in France. These

opportunities vary considerable in approach, target group, level of education and certification

offered. During the site visits, participants experienced evidence of innovative and inspiring

pedagogic approaches taking place, primarily in second chance institutions. Participants

highlighted the potential to apply the key success factors of innovative pedagogic practice

presented here as compensatory measures to the development of innovative approaches

that could be used in mainstream education (as preventative measures).

Participants learnt that second chance education opportunities are aimed at encouraging

and supporting young people come back to learning that is not based on the same traditional

approaches used in mainstream schools. The aim is to ensure learning is much more cross-

cutting with a more motivational approach that enables young people to achieve positive

results. As learnt during the PLA, key to the success of second chance education is the

positive approach of teaching staff in terms of pedagogy in addition to the use of new

technologies that can also support young people in their learning – here it was learnt that

social networks as part of digital learning is another option being used as an innovative

approach to learning.

5.1.1 Morea Project

The MOREA project is a second chance education scheme launched by the Académie de

Créteil that provides young people who have failed the baccalaureate examination once or

twice and for various reasons unable to attend mainstream education.

11

OECD, 2005j; Haycock and Peske, 2006

12 As discussed in the background paper, ensuring that schools have the most experienced teachers has been

particularly problematic for schools located in certain disadvantaged areas, as experienced in the French zones d’éducation prioritaire (ZEP).

15

The aim of the MOREA project is to provide learning opportunities to young people in small

groups (usually between 8-15 participants). Learning is delivered using different pedagogic

approaches that include physical attendance at the Lycée, one-to-one sessions and e-

learning supported by a Moodle platform, Skype and Facebook. Provision is tailored towards

the needs of the learner and includes a range of activities, including adventure type

activities. The average age of young people participating in the MOREA project at the Lycée

Jean Moulin, Torcy is 21 years of age. The main focus is on personal development and

raising the self-confidence of each young person participating in the project.

A key feature of the MOREA project is that young people are permitted to retain marks from

their previous attempt to sit the baccalaureate. The project promotes an alternance approach

to learning, where young people have the opportunity to also explore training opportunities to

experience the workplace for structured training periods.

In 2011 and 2012 the success rate of the MOREA project at the Lycée Jean Moulin, Torcy

was 50%. In terms of those who did not pass, further work is carried out in order to

understand the wider social and economic factors that prevent young people from passing.

Of those who were successful, many continued with further education or moved into training

or employment opportunities. Participants learnt that the MOREA project also offers benefits

to teaching staff in terms of the way they deliver education in a way that meets the needs of

young people with complex learning needs.

5.1.2 Dobbantó Springboard Programme in Hungary

Known as the springboard programme, this second chance opportunity was established as a

pilot project from 2008 to 2011 and involved 15 schools located in different geographical

areas across Hungary. The main focus of the project was to help students either re-enter

school education or VET, adult education or employment. The pilot project was targeted at

15-25 year olds who for a range of multiple and complex reasons have experienced

difficulties with mainstream education

A key focus of the pilot was to change the physical learning environment (welcoming,

relaxation areas) together with the organisation of learning (small groups, small teams of

teachers) and to provide creative and flexible learning experiences linked to employability

and career development. A key focus is on the development of communication, social and

learning competencies supported by innovative instructive methods such as cooperative

learning, project based learning, experimental learning and out-of school learning. This

emphasis on individual learning is supported by formative assessment.

As a student-centred pedagogical approach, one of the key elements of the pilot was to

create opportunities for young people to create their own personal development plans with a

view to them taking responsibility for their own development and longer term plans. This was

facilitated by one-one teacher student/student meetings in addition to team building

sessions.

Key to the success of the pilot was in acknowledging that teachers would need to be

appropriately supported and developing to enable them to work differently not only in terms

of working within a new learning environment offered as part of the pilot approach but also in

terms of changing their pedagogic approaches. As such, in-service training opportunities

were provided to teachers, combined with ready to use materials, a change facilitating

mentor and tailor-made support dedicated to each team of staff. This was then supported by

regional team meetings twice a year. As a result of the pilot, school improvement across all

15 participating schools was evident that continues to support school leadership in

introducing change.

Successful elements of the Dobbantó programme

■ individual learning path

■ teamwork for teachers

■ focus on employability and career building for young people

■ student support

■ cooperation with change facilitator mentor and coach

■ search for drop-outs and identify appropriate ways to keep them engage

16

■ school level involvement

■ improvement of whole school

Due to the success of the pilot project; plans are now in place to develop ‘the Bridge

Programme’ in Hungry for low achievers, drop-outs and for young adults.

As participants observed, it is interesting to note commonalities and differences in approach

of the MOREA project to that of the Dobbantó programme. The MOREA project for example

is a ‘school within a school’ instead of a separate learning place, integral to the Dobbantó

programme. The orientation of the measures is also different in that the focus of the MOREA

project is around re-integration and employability through accreditation (sitting exams

required for the labour market), and though the Dobbantó programme is also focused on re-

integration and employability, the emphasis is on developing communication, social and

learning competencies, career building competences and on individual personal

development.

Common to both the MOREA project and the Dobbantó programme is an emphasis on

raising the aspirations of young people through a positive, student centred approach. As

observed in both approaches, key to the success of second chance programmes is the

preparation and on-going development of teachers within the context of a whole school

approach enhanced by strong and clear leadership.

5.1.3 2nd Chance School (Ecole de la deuxième chance de Paris)

During the course of the PLA, additional types of second chance measures were presented.

The 2nd

Chance School in Paris is one such example and as participants learnt, it works very

differently compared to mainstream education and is run in a separate building (not part of

another mainstream school). On average students are 21 years old, have left school without

diplomas and have been out of school for at least one year. Whilst E2C does not lead young

people towards qualification outcomes as such, it provides them with the opportunity to

acquire a ‘skills certificate’ verifying the skills they have acquired through the duration of their

structured programme, typically lasting between 8-10 months on a full-time basis. Local

partnerships and local enterprises have a key role to play in the success of the École de la

deuxième chance de Paris that has established partnerships with over 1,800 companies who

offer work placement opportunities to young people as part of their programme.

The learning is organised according to the needs of the individual students, in workshops -

not in classes. Students define their individual target which could be employment or further

training. They can enrol the whole year and study on average up to 1400 teaching hours

according to their needs. The minimum duration of studies is one year; if students have to

drop-out, they can return at any time. Specific characteristic of 2nd

Chance School are that:

■ Students are prepared for their specific target, not for taking the Baccalureate

■ Students are prepared for employment and not to pursue higher education

■ Students are not under school status; they are trainees from vocational and adult

education.

Students are also strongly involved in the decision making process within the school and are

encouraged to make proposals for the content of the programme. The school is financed

partly by the state and the European Social Fund (1/3), another part is financed by the

regional government (1/3) and the last third is financed by other funding such as the Town

Hall, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Chamber of Trades and business through

apprenticeship tax.

5.1.4 EPIDE – Public Defence Integration School

Participants received a presentation on the Defence 2nd

Chance Scheme (Defense 2eme

chance) managed by Etablissement Public d’Insertion de la Defense (EPIDE). This

programme is available to young people aged 18 to 25 who are neither qualified nor in

employment and at risk of social exclusion. It primarily supports young people from

disadvantaged backgrounds and those who local basic and life skills.

17

There are 20 EPIDE centres across France each with the capacity to offer places to between

60 and 180 young people. Programmes last between 8-10 months and boarding is optional.

Though EPIDE centre are civic and not military centres, young people follow relatively

formal, military style programmes and wear uniforms. An individual approach is combined

with a collective approach. They are also taught how to develop essential social skills, follow

and respect orders and routine in order to help them develop the skills they need to support

them in their transition to the workplace. Teaching staff are made up of teachers, military

staff and youth workers. Young people receive an allowance of EUR 300 a month (part paid

monthly, part paid as an end of programme payment). Young people also receive a free

travel card and EUR 650 towards driving lessons. Annual training costs are estimated to be

EUR 35 000 per young person (boarding included).

Staff from the EPIDE centres work in close partnership with local companies who offer

training placement opportunities, provide training materials and in some cases deliver

training. Young people in training are followed by a dedicated mentor from the EPIDE centre.

Young people are directed towards the EPIDE programme from a variety of different ways –

through the MLDS, word of mouth and following participation in the National Defence Day

and their participation in the EPIDE programme is voluntary. Failure to respect the rules and

regulations of the EPIDE programme and the centre will result in young people being

dismissed from the programme.

Some questions were raised about the pedagogical approach employed by the EPIDE

centres and its appropriateness for all learners. Whilst it was acknowledged that some

learners find the learning environment challenging due to the regimental approach used in

teaching and learning (there is a 30% drop-out rate), many young people need and

appreciate a disciplined approach.

It was also acknowledged that the financial incentives associated with participating in the

EPIDE programmes can be attractive to young people. Here it was noted that there is a

robust admissions process in place and that learners are routinely monitored and evaluated

throughout the duration of the programme. The extent to which only the ‘most eligible’

selection of young people is made raised some concerns about where those who have not

been selected turn to.

The fact that a military type approach is employed is felt to be of huge benefit to learners

who participate in the programme, though this was not a view collectively shared by all

participants.

The following paragraphs provide a short overview of each of the three sites of second

chance schools visited during the PLA.

5.1.5 Pôle innovant lycéen de Paris, Lycée Lazare Ponticelli

Le pôle innovant lycéen de Paris is essentially stand-alone unit attached to Lycée Lazare

Ponticelli. Since it was established, Lycée Lazare Ponticelli has moved premises and Le pôle

innovant lycéen is in fact located within a small building attached to a disused school.

Le pôle innovant lycéen currently has approximately 130 students all between the age of 16-

22 years old. The focus of the second chance offer is on those young people have dropped

out of education and their reintegration to mainstream school. Participation is voluntary and

young people can enrol at any time during the academic year. Young people are not asked

to provide detailed accounts as to why they have dropped-out of education, rather the focus

is on starting afresh.

Le pôle innovant lycéen offers a range of different learning opportunities through six different

‘classes’ (described as lycée’s) for those who have dropped out of lower and upper

secondary level:

1. Lycée Intégral (general, the aim is for knowledge and learning to make sense)

2. Lycée des futurs (learn by doing)

3. Le lycée de la Solidarité Internationale (international development/solidarity programme)

4. Le lycée de la découverte (school for building, discovering and delineating)

5. Le lycée au long cours (programmes to support students who have dropped out of

education due to psychological reasons)

18

6. Le Lien (for learners who require personalised timetables)

The different ’lycées’ have developed identical pedagogical methods based on:

■ An individual approach

■ Personal plans

■ Pedagogical methodology

■ Parental involvement.

Some programmes last for up to two years, though typically students stay at the lycée for

one year. The learning environment in the Le pôle innovant lycéen is open planned where

students and teachers share common spaces. Teachers do not have private offices and

students and staff typically eat, study and relax together in common (though dated) areas.

This creates for an equitable approach and a safe place for learners to go. Partly influenced

by the nature of the educational offer, there was a real sense of solidarity and citizenships in

the didactic, pedagogic offer to young people that is personalised and student-centred where

the main focus is on the development of transversal skills and key competencies.

Though not physically attached to the mainstream lycée, links with the lycée were not as well

established as was initially expected. Although participants were struck by the high energy

and deep commitment of the teaching staff, together with a real sense of collective

ownership and generosity of professionalism, there was also a sense that the lycée was in a

way somewhat enclosed and insular in its approach. In part this reflects the fact that

although the educational programmes are subject to inspection, teaching staff are not. As

such, it was felt that the school and the teaching staff (in terms of their own professional

formation) would benefit greatly from some external involvement/evaluation, particularly in

terms of putting processes in place to evidence the impact, value and outcomes of the work

of the lycée.

Parental involvement was highlighted as key to the success of the pedagogic approach

offered by the lycée though it was acknowledged that parental involvement is at the pace

and discretion of the young people themselves.

5.1.6 Le lycée de la nouvelle chance (Lycée Alfred Kesler)

The Lycée Alfred Kesler is situated in Cergy-Pontoise, an area of very intensive urban

development over the last 20 years. The school population has been changing for the last

years as many families with low socio-economic background tend to leave Paris. In 2012

the Lycée started an experimentation and created a separate section called “lycée de la

nouvelle chance”, based on funds provided by the Ministry of Education (via the Académie of

Versailles) and local authorities (region, agglomeration de Cergy-Pontoise).

Fully integrated in the structure of the school (same building, same teachers), the “lycée de

la nouvelle chance” is aimed at bringing pupils back to school who have left education

prematurely. In the year 2012-13 three sections have been opened (covering the penultimate

school year) allowing for 39 students in total. The pedagogical approach is such that pupils

are treated as individuals, and all aspects of their life are taken into account. Teachers are

not only responsible for “teaching content” but also play a broader educational role. Other

distinctive features include the individualisation of curricula; a well-meaning school;

interdisciplinary teaching; more cultural contents integrated in the curricula (philosophy, and

theatre workshops, etc.) as a result of successful cooperation with some external partners

(libraries, theatres).

The environment of learning is also considered important in that students share the same

building and school facilities, but also have dedicated classes and a common room (shared

with the teachers) where they can rest, have breakfast and lunch, and meet teachers; they

are not subject to the same rules about time of arrival.

Teachers work both in “ordinary” classes and at the Lycée de la nouvelle chance, this is

considered to be hugely beneficial as it facilitates the exchange of ideas and helps to change

attitudes.

19

The project is made possible by the engagement and support of teachers and their

commitment to the project. Here it is important to add that no new posts were created,

teachers voluntarily accepted to work extra-hours. During discussions with the teachers it

became clear that they are the main success factor of the project. Teachers work very

closely with the students and are also strongly involved in mentoring individual students. The

support work for students is very intense. There is a stronger focus on teamwork among the

teachers and the non-teaching staff (which includes a secretary, social workers and a

pedagogical adviser) meets regularly and are supported by a psychologist.

No specific training was foreseen for the teachers before the start of the projects, but many

have voluntarily engaged in training since then. Experimental and innovative teaching

approaches are sometimes used but students do not seem to perceive them positively and

rather prefer more traditional styles and methods of learning. In addition, the value of the

cultural workshops was also hard to perceive for the students, who tend to overestimate

what seem to be rapidly and immediately useful and operational.

The Lycée plans to continue its project in 2013-14, with the existing classes preparing for the

BAC and with three new classes to be opened.

5.1.7 Micro-lycée du Lycée Polyvalent Jean Macé

The micro-lycée was created in 2008 and enrolled 40 students in its first year of operation.

Since then, there are now approximately 90 students in total studying at the micro-lycée.

Students come from across the whole Académie, though the main admission condition is

that they have not attended school for at least six months prior to their application. Students

are typically between 16 and 25 years old and although the reasons why they have dropped

out of education vary, they all need to rebuild confidence in themselves and in their own

learning.

The micro-lycée is integrated into the structure of the lycée and occupies 6 rooms in the

main building of the lycée. It is also intended that there should be regular exchange between

the teachers in the lycée and in the micro-lycée. There are 11 full-time teachers working in

the micro-lycée, a social assistant and a psychologist to support their work.

Teachers are responsible for all administrative work. They work closely with the students,

have additional educational tasks and are also strongly involved in mentoring individual

students. The support work provided to students is very intense (regular meetings with

individual students, follow-up of absenteeism, common room for teachers and students, no

separate teachers’ room). In addition teaching is organised more interdisciplinary and

teachers often work in pairs. There is a stronger focus on teamwork among the teachers, on

experimental and innovative teaching styles and on small learning groups. Teachers also

participate in workshops together with the pupils being learners themselves.

The micro-lycée prepares its students for the Baccalaureate and for a successful career in

the future. With its focus on mentoring it also helps students to identify their aims, see their

development needs and cope with their problems.

Discussion with the students underlined also the need to change approaches in mainstream

education to prevent ESL. Students made a case for smaller learning groups in opposition to

‘learning in a big factory’. They were of the view that there is too much of a distance between

teachers and students in mainstream education and they felt that they were not regarded as

an individual. In terms of what students lacked from their experiences in mainstream

education, this was mainly in relation to cultural activities and other extra-curricula activities

to motivate them to learn.

An important characteristic in the micro-lycée is also flexibility in terms of timetables and the

approach to learning – for example, with more opportunities to learn in workshops together

with the possibility to choose between different workshops and attend catch-up sessions for

missed learning.

5.1.8 Key discussion points and lessons learnt in relation to second chance education

As participants observed through presentations and site visits, the most striking

characteristics of second chance education include:

20

■ Innovation and flexibility in the learning content and the pedagogical approach that is

based on a student-centred approach that allows for and encourages a tailored,

individualised approach to learning.

■ A different organisation of learning that is small with focused groups of learners that

allow and encourage good working relationships between teaching staff and learners;

more flexible structure of the teaching time.

■ Committed and dedicated teaching staff and a strong sense of cooperation and

collegiality amongst all staff.

■ Attention to the physical environment: common spaces for staff and students; dedicated

space/time for relaxation/play; teachers are often known to spend the entire day in the

company of students.

■ Parental involvement is important though managed according to the wishes of young

people – for some a certain level of distance is required, for other young people, parental

involvement is key in terms of demonstrating their achievements and raising their own

self-esteem and self-respect.

■ In the case of the Dobbantó programme, strong leadership and political commitment

from the start meant there was a real objective to support the notion of bringing young

people back into education and raising their aspirations. Planning together with setting

clear objectives, training and supporting teaching staff in their pedagogic approach,

external monitoring and direction together with a process of self-reflection brought

together resulted in a positive and innovative policy response to ESL.

Despite the success of the second chance schools participants had the opportunity to visit

during the PLA, some key questions were raised in relation to the level of training and

support offered to teachers working in second chance education. Participants learnt that

generally speaking additional training or opportunities for continued professional

development is not routinely available to teaching staff, though it was observed there was an

impressive sense of collegiality and support offered amongst staff.

Participants also learnt that though programmes provided through the Micro-Lycées and Le

pôle innovant lycéen are inspected, the formal inspection of teaching staff in mainstream

schools does not apply to teachers in second chance education. As such, there were some

concerns about the sustainability of such models. It was felt that to sustain such an approach

a process should be in place to evidence the impact and outcomes of second chance

education and the role and contribution of teaching staff. At a time of economic austerity, it

was felt that there is a need for a cohesive response to second chance provision where its

outcomes and value for money could be validated. Here it was felt that staff working within

the Micro-Lycées and Le pôle innovant lycéen would hugely benefit from being part of an

accountability structure, particularly in terms of their own professional development.

In was also felt that the link between second chance education and mainstream education

could be stronger – from the perspective of the learner and teaching staff. In terms of young

people, some questions were asked about the extent to which learners become more and

more isolated and distanced from mainstream education, particularly in second chance

education provision that is long in its duration. Participants were reminded that for many

young people, providing safe and secure places for learning in the first instance is key to

their transition into mainstream education. All efforts are made to ensure young people are

supported in their progression to further learning opportunities or training and employment.

In terms of teaching staff and the links with mainstream education, participants did learn that

in some cases staff working within mainstream education are sometimes the same staff

working within second chance education. As such teaching staff have acquired a range of

experiences and skills that they then apply within their pedagogic approach in mainstream

education. Teachers were seen to be learning from each other.

21

6 Reflection and summary of the key lessons learnt

As experienced in France, a key pre-condition for successful ESL policies is political will at

all levels – this is further enhanced by the legislative processes and current reforms taking

place. The following summarises some of the key lessons learnt from the PLA that could be

considered further and within the broader context of the work of the TWG in developing

comprehensive policies to address ESL:

6.1 Cross-sectoral cooperation

■ The collaborative role of stakeholders at local levels in particular is key – collecting data

on ESL and finding answers locally is evident through the Platforms in France and also

through the activities of the House of Guidance in Luxembourg.

■ The notion of an ‘educational alliance’ which reflects complementary collaboration

amongst professionals working in the field of ESL is emerging in France. Together with

the notion of providing a continuum of services throughout the life of a young person

(with a focus on prevention) this reflection provides interesting food for thought in policy

development terms but key to this is simplicity and ensuring that various stakeholders

become mediators for young people in order to help them find and maintain their place in

society.

■ As participants have learnt one of the key triggers for the introduction of the Platforms

was to ensure that young people had easier access and information with regard to the

availability of provision. Ensuring young people know how to access provision and

ensuring that those who are not selected are not lost in the system remains a key

challenge.

6.2 Second chance education

In summary, key elements of effective second chance education include staff motivation,

leadership, political commitment, alternative approaches to mainstream though on-going

dialogue and contact with mainstream to facilitate integration (from the perspective of the

learning) and for the benefit of reciprocal benefits (from a pedagogic perspective). Providing

a learning and working environment that is flexible, based on equality and allows for time

and support to teachers and pupils (in small learning groups) is key. Encouraging team work

amongst teachers together with on-going opportunities for professional development in order

to clarify what is part of a teacher’s job profile is also important. Other reflections include:

■ During the course of the PLA, participants learnt about developments that are starting to

emerge in relation to the organisational structure of the education system across France.

This includes new and in some cases revolutionary examples of experimental, innovative

and inspiring practices. For instance, examples of schools encouraging greater flexibility

that enables young people to access the school system at different points of the year.

■ There is now a greater emphasis on personalised learning – encouraging and supporting

young people re-develop their relationship with learning, representing a shift in the

paradigm between young people, teachers and learning.

■ Teachers and young people share common spaces that enable young people and adults

to interact in close proximity. In a positive, reassuring and pleasant learning environment,

young people feel they have a safe place to go and an encouraging environment in

which they learn.

■ The structure of second chance provision is smaller and as such, learners feel that they

are part of an education community that is interested in their individual needs and

requirements for learning. As such the teacher - student ratio is key.

■ Innovation in assessment/formative assessment is key and also makes a difference to

young people in terms of enabling them to place a value on what they have learnt and

where it can take them with regards to further education, training and employment

opportunities.

22

■ More must be done to remove the stigmatisation associated with the provision of second

chance so it is not seen as the inferior option. Part of the solution here is generating and

providing evidence of the value of second chance provision, though it is acknowledged

that in preventive work, it takes time to let the evidence develop.

■ As participants learnt during the PLA, the main objective of most second chance

measures is re-integration. Ensuring that mainstream education is an attractive option for

young people is important and requires a much stronger focus on prevention. This is

linked to teacher training; the need for adequate resources and an environment that is

created on values, respect and that is welcoming and instils a sense of belonging for

young people.

6.3 Teachers and teacher training

■ Teachers must be supported in their professional development, be part of a structured

process of evaluation, have the capacity to be autonomous, though not to be too self-

centred.

■ Ensuring teachers understand the issue of ESL as part of their initial teacher training was

highlighted as a key issue. It was argued that this requires a step change in the

paradigm of teaching in terms of a strong need for self-reflection, more responsibility of

the teacher, development of professional communities together with a greater awareness

of the issues and challenges relating to ESL and how they impact on teaching and

learning. One suggestion is to extend the period of work placements in schools during

teacher training, particularly in heterogeneous schools where higher levels of ESL exist.

As part of initial teacher training, it was proposed that prospective teachers must be

exposed to how schools deal with ESL in practice.

■ A key issue raised is the need to ensure that all teachers/principals take part in lifelong

training and engage in the process of self-reflection as an integral component of the

continuous professional development of teachers. Within in-service training there was a

call for returning to traditional active methods which are school-based and include

workshops, case studies and discussions.

■ With a focus on ‘train the trainers’ participants explored the possibility of introducing a

new European programme of ‘train-the-trainer’, though it was recognised that this would

require much more thinking and analysis. Linked to this is a suggestion for a systematic

approach to sharing and exchanging practice through a network at European/national

levels composed of professionals, trainers, school boards, researchers. This could have

the added benefit of strengthening the mobility of teachers to learn from other countries

in terms of improving solutions to ESL. Utilising the OECD recommendations concerning

ILE (innovative learning environments) and TALIS should also be taken into

consideration.