the first tests threatened by the strike against the pension reform

OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP Pupils start the philosophy test as part of the baccalaureat exams at the Sainte-Marie Les Maristes high school designed and built by famous architect Georges Adilon, in Lyon, central-eastern France, on June 15, 2022. (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP )

OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP

Students taking the baccalaureate philosophy test in a high school in Lyon, June 15, 2022.

NATIONAL EDUCATION – Doubt hovers as the big day approaches. This year, the baccalaureate exams for the final year begin in March, with the specialty exams scheduled for Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22, on a tighter part of the program. But can these events be held well next week?

Due to the debates around the pension reform, strike notices have indeed been filed by several teachers’ unions. Beyond the national day of mobilization of this Wednesday, March 15, they say they are ready to prevent the holding of the specialty tests, a hardening of the movement which aims to obtain the total withdrawal of the bill.

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In a press release, the SNES-FSU union also wants to protest at the same time “against the inconsistent calendar of the baccalaureate”evoking “specialty programs (…) sloppy to finish on time” and “students (…) not ready” and without enough time to revise. The SNES-FSU additionally points “the dematerialized correction (which) gave rise, last year, to scandalous note hacks” or even a “absenteeism (…) strong and the 3rd trimester sacrificed” after these March trials. This is why the union “continues to demand the postponement of the specialty tests in June”.

32% of the final baccalaureate mark

“We strongly ask the ministers to move the tests (bac) in June”, abounds Jules Siran, federal co-secretary of SUD-Education, on BFMTV this Tuesday, March 14. “If the government does not withdraw its bill, the strike is on the agenda”he promised.

An opposition which is not without importance when with the holding of these spring tests, the reform of the baccalaureate planned since the summer of 2019 is being deployed for the first time in its entirety this year.

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In this context, the two terminal specialties selected by each high school student are assigned a coefficient of 16 and count for 32% of the final mark of their baccalaureate. And the change of calendar was justified at the time by the government “ so that the grades obtained can be taken into account in the Parcoursup files”the controversial platform for access to higher education.

This year, senior high school students had until March 9 to express their wishes in Parcoursup, among 21,000 state-recognized training courses. Each candidate could formulate ten wishes, without having to classify them, and fill in sub-wishes according to the formations. From now on, students have until April 6 to complete their file (letters of motivation, activities and areas of interest, etc.) on the admissions platform, and confirm their wishes.

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