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PART lssues and Perspectives of Elementaryand Secondary Education

France is promoting reforms aiming at the improvement of academic achievement, while setting immediate targets at the modification of the content and methodology of education corresponding to scientific and technological innovation and counter measures to stop the high repetition rate. With respect to the content and methodology of education, ten reviewing committees on ten subject areas have been established and are engaged in deliberations on such a theme as the reduction of the amount of educational content. Concerning the practice of repetition, a policy was adopted to abolish it in principle in each of the two elementary school stages. Careful career guidance and a more flexible career selection system have been proposed in regard to secondary schools. Related to upper secondary schools(lycee), the opening of the opportunity for graduates of two year vocational upper secondary schools to enter universities is a major change; the proclaimed goals regarding upper secondary schools include the reduction of dropouts and the granting of baccalaureat to 65 -80%of 18 years cohort by the end of this century. Concerning the improvement of the quality of teachers, the requirement for secondary school teachers has been elevated and the salaries and rate of promotion is to be improved.