Intermediate schools in France

Depuis 2009, le Conseil départemental de la Seine-Saint-Denis soutient « la Culture et l’Art au Collège (CAC) ». Cette démarche repose en grande partie sur la présence, en classe et pendant plusieurs semaines (40h), d’un artiste ou d’un scientifique ayant pour mission d’engager les élèves dans un processus de recherche et de création. 

Tutors: Cintia Indarramendi, Filippo Pirone/ educational sociologists

Project managers: Anna Mezey et Florise Pagès

Objectives:
Some people think intermediate school means equality and success but other see it as monolithic. Why is the “collège unique” (the same type of intermediate school for all pupils), introduced nearly forty years ago, still such a hot topic? What do the pupils and teachers think about it? What conclusions will they come to after analysing the subject with their tutors?

Workshops:
What is an intermediate school?
The tutor explained how sociology and the educational sciences try to conceptualise the intermediate school and describe the pupils’ everyday routine. The class looked at the challenge of having a single intermediate school model through the questions usually asked, opinion polls and documents taken from the newspapers, Internet and interviews.

In the field
The tutor and pupils designed a field survey to be conducted with the people at the school: they chose their target and drew up a survey protocol. Small groups tested a survey grid in class before interviewing pupils, parents, the administrative staff and teachers.

Processing the data
They transcribed and pooled their data, then analysed and sorted the information to select the most relevant facts. They compared the survey data with other sources (newspapers, studies, etc.) and returned to some of the criticisms levelled at the single intermediate school.

Outcome:
Each college made a display using the information they had collected, quotations and questions raised by the pupils and the school staff during the year. It was presented as a set of signs, to welcome and inform the 5th level pupils who will be joining the school in September. 

Outing:
- UNESCO: EDUCATION IN THE WORLD, INEQUALITIES REGARDING THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION, DIFFERENT SCHOOL SYSTEMS. A MEETING WITH THREE MEMBERS OF THE EDUCATION UNIT.

Schools:
- Class (6th D) Collège René Descartes, Tremblay-en-France
- Class (4th) Collège Paul Langevin, Drancy
- Class (6th 1) Collège Joliot Curie, Stains

Scenography: ELODIE DESCOUBES

Photo: GUILLAUME LEBRUN