France’s new secret school

Press, 16 March 1982, Page 19

France’s new secret school

By

PAUL WEBSTER

In an atmosphere of secrecy, the first education experiment of the French' Socialist administration was launched recently under the direction of Gabriel CohnBendit, brother of the 1968 student leader, Daniel CohnBendit. The Education Ministry has put out a directive forbidding any of the staff at Mr Cohn-Bendit's experimental lycee in the Atlantic port of St Nazaire to talk about the school. It has 18 staff, only 50 pupils and total freedom on courses and timetables.

Its experimental basis has offended the powerful Social- ~. ist teachers’ union, the federation d’Education Nationale, which counts about 150 members among the Socialist deputies in Parliament. They consider the experiment, in which pupils and teachers will jointly decide their work schedule, could undermine confidence in the State ecucation system. The State-financed lycee— Mr Cohn-Bendit prefers to call it a centre—is one of the rare political gifts that the Government has given to the extreme Left, which has been disappointed by the moderate policies of President Francois Mitterrand’s administration.

Because of the ministry’s directive, Mr Cohn-Bendit politely turns away visitors to the lycee, based in a villa overlooking the Loire estuary and the Atlantic. But letters from him to extreme left-wing publications before he was given the go-ahead and conversations with his pupils give a clear idea of the 1968 spirit at the centre. Mr Cohn-Bendit, whose better-known brother was banned from France until the Socialists came to power, has spent much of the last 14 years pleading for experimental schools which will allow “marginal” teachers and students to work to-

gether. He estimates that at least 200,000 children between 16 and 19 and several hundred teachers want a more flexible education system.

In a letter to the education Minister, Alain Savary, whom he calls "comrade,” Mr Cohn-Bendit wrote: “Why not gather together these marginal pupils and teachers who understand each other so well when they meet by chance?” It is estimated that a* least .40 per cent of children in private education are pupils seeking a more flexi bel learning system and despite the teachers’ union claim that Mr Cohn-Bendit's experiment would give comfort to private schools, he was given the go-ahead. As the rest of France’s State education system is strongly centralised, with courses, timetables and textbooks barely distinguishable throughout the country, Mr Cohn-Bendit’s experiment is little short of revolutionary.

It will be the first selfmanaged State school with the students and teachers jointly planning work schedules. Classes will be dropped and there will be no fixed timetables. Ad hoc learning groups will be formed based on learning levels and the pupils will have their own radio, newspaper and video film facilities.

According to Mr CohnBendit: “If the children work intelligently they will pass the baccalaureat in their stride.” But the controversy is far from over, particularly if attempts are made to establish other extreme left-wing-inspired State schools elsewhere. While the St Nazaire experiment is monitored closely in Paris, there is every sign that the State will reinforce its authority on education.