Lockdown in France, week 6...

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April 2020

By Geoffrey Heels

Posted: 2020-04-24T11:35:00Z

Yes, here in this Gallic land, we are now into a sixth week of confinement with the President and the government announcing that a progressive exit should start on 11th May, this being an objective which could be modified.

The first area concerned by this Lockxit plan is education, edcuation meaning schools. Year groups will go back on a rolling basis over a three week period from the youngest to the oldest. It has already been announced that the high school baccalaureat exam will be awarded on a basis of continuous assessment grades only. Funnily enough this was announced at the same time that the schoolchildren and teachers were told that all grades given during home-schooling would not count!
As far as higher education goes, no more classes until the start of the fall semester, with alternatives to traditional examinations being put in place.

Just like everywhere else, solutions are trying to be found for internships being cancelled and international students mobilities being cancelled, as well as for student recruitment for next year.

Business education more specifically in France is either in public universities or at private business schools. In universities then, things are kind of "clear", but for the main business schools the situation is more complicated. Apart form the same issues of finishing the academic year, there is a common entrance examination (postponed until June) and oral exams which, it would appear, have been cancelled all together. Other smaller private business schools are simply running on-line applications, sometimes with Skype orals too.

Just like in other institutions, educators and learners here in France are asking themselves what is the value of qualifications awarded this year and will education practices come out of Covid-19 for the better or for the worse?

Certainly, digital fatigue, screen sickness and keyboard cramp seem to be getting the better of just about everyone!

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