I took this photo a few Septembers back, and never got up the gumption to blog about it. After all, I am a teacher in France, even if I'm not part of the Education Nationale, and I don't want this blog to become a platform for ragging on the French school system.But s'il vous please -- can you believe the theme of this magazine? "The first magazine to [help you] succeed in [the equivalent of] 1st grade"?
Among the colorful, eye-catching, pitches on this magazine's promotional poster was "Même pas peur!" -- "Not even afraid!" -- as if shaking in their little bottes would be the natural state of a French first grader (who has normally already been through three or four years of free public pre-school.)
I don't know if CP Champions is still in print, but I rather hope not.
9 comments:
Ah, so many little minds to mold, so little time...
Gawd help us all, but most especially those little people on their way to 1st grade.
Great photo, Betty C.
You would have loved the news (or was it 60 Minutes?) the other night, where they were finally questioning the wisdom of loading school children, stateside, down like mules with backpacks full of books to lug all day long.
Amitiés,
I always thought that fully-loaded backpacks were part of basic training in the Marines and I used to work for a chiropractor...
The overloaded backpack issue has been going on for years here too...sans résultat despite several government directives about it.
What good is a centralized national school system if they can't even get control of that type of problem?
I never could understand the purpose of having lockers in school if the kids couldn't leave unneeded books in them overnight. That would solve a lot of the backpack problem.
And oh, how I'd love it if you ragged on the French school system a little bit! :-)
My nephew's attitude to 1st grade was to tell his teacher that if she gave him a bad note, it wouldn't matter because he could always move to a different school.
He's already doubled once.
My dentist was bemoaning the fact that he doesn't know WHAT his son will do between high school and college,etc. etc. Come to find out, his son is a kindergartner. Geez Louise!
Ah, So when does vacation begin for you in the Aveyron? I've not my national calendar in front of me...
However, I am interested in reading more about your English teaching experience -- as I try to break into something I've never done a lot of...
Take care! - Madeleine
I know an awful lot of French moms that would love that magazine. First graders MUST succeed dammit.
Are you sure it is about "le cours preparatoire" not about "le certificat d'etudes primaires"?
I kind of lost touch with french education but that test was great.
Hello for the first time:)
Crumbs
Try the English school system then!
Both my boys could read and write by the time they arrived in France (Grand section and CP) thanks to the 'sucess' of the English system - where they were pushed MUCH harder.
To be honest we have found the school system much more relaxed and accommodating then we anticipated. Perhaps we were lucky? I am definately NOT into pushing children. It should be fun and at their pace.
All the best
Lydia
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