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4eme...projet de profession-something or other


Wendy

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Ok, so my french is still pretty bad. I was called up to my sons College (he is in 5eme) today to meet with his principal teacher. His marks in some subjects were not good partly because he speaks french better than he can write it. No bother to me because basically he has finally settled in after so long has and made friends. He's happy and thats all I care about. Im not interested in raising an Einstein. There were only 3 subjects where he was below the class moyenne.

Usually my partner comes to these things with me because my french is crap and he's pretty good but he's away at the moment. So I sat mostly through the rendezvous nodding and catching the odd word. I had to sign a 'projet de profession', and understood that he would do 4eme at his present school (15 kms away) after Sept and attend the local College(5minutes away) for 3eme. This local school is not in our commune, even though it is 5 minutes to the right of us.

What is a 'projet de profession'?.. and why was his teacher panicking so much about him failing 3 subjects?.

I never passed a maths test in my whole life...and look at me! [:-))]

 

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My son says when he was back in collège he remembers (he is 20 now) it was a project/decision to do with the career that your son wishes to follow when he comes to choose his specialist Lycée/course after his brevêt. So, if he wishes to go into farming for example, he must search out the courses and Lycées that offer his chosen subject perhaps animal rearing or crop growing etc. In 4eme he can go to a specialist Lycée part time to start these studies but quite often places are limited and they need to know what sort of numbers will be applying. Its a good idea and helps the child to realise he has to take things seriously or else he might end up with no future qualifications which are,quite honestly the be all and end all here to getting work.
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Hi Wen,

You clearly care for your son, hence this post, and of course it is of the utmost importance that he has settled in and made friends. However I was concerned to read that you have signed something apparently major concerning his education without realising what it was! You say you 'had' to sign - maybe it would have been better to explain to the head that you wanted to consult with your partner and make sure you had understood 100% before signing. Any decent teacher would surely respect this request, especially if French is not your first language. You simply cannot make such a decision 'nodding and catching the odd word'. My french is not perfect either, and there are some occasions when blagging it and testing how much you can understand will work, but surely not when your son's education is the subject of discussion. It is admirable, in my opinion, that you are not push-push-pushing him to be an academic genius if it's not his cup of tea, but unfortunately, as Val says, the french system seems to be structured in this way. He may have made friends now but in a few years' time he could find himself jobless and unqualified while his friends move on.

It would appear the teachers are taking an active interest in your son's future rather than panicking, which is great. Has your son mentioned what he might like to go in for - perhaps the teachers have already consulted him re the projet de profession?

I truly am not trying to be antagonistic but why should you feel intimidated into signing something you are not sure about? It affects you and your family and you must be sure before you sign - if it was urgent perhaps the school English teacher could have been called in to help out, or you could have had your son present?

Good luck and I hope it works ou for the best,

Jane

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Thanks for that. He knows what he wants do to after school, which is one of the reasons we are basically planning to leave France in the next year or so. Its one thing him taking things seriously in college/lycee; afterwards its another thing altogether actually getting a job in this country in the field he wants to be in. Or any field for that matter.

No wonder places like London and Dublin are so crammed with young French people at the moment...all working in pubs and hotels. But at least they are working.

I still cannot work out why his teacher was so fired up because he got a score of 6 for histoire/geography...he's not planning to chart undiscovered civilisations for petes sake. They are not exactly subjects necessary for life experience!. And his low score is down to the fact that his writing skills (French) are not up to his speaking skills.

He does take his school work seriously, but I find it weird that they hit the panic buttons so soon...he is only 13!.

 

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Ok first what you have to understand about the French school system is that history and geography are really important subjects here, in fact they are the only subjects, along with sport that a child will do for the who of a general school career through to the general bac.  (yes, with some general bacs they stop maths and French but history and geography go on). This is why the teacher is concerned, as you must see 6 is an abysmal mark, even if you can see the reasons why, (his French) it is a cause for concern, because it means that the brevet des colleges is probably out of reach for him.  At least that is probably what the teachers fear right now. 

I suspect what you have signed up for is for him to, from 4ème, start thinking about a career.  In 4ème he will almost certainly still follow the same curriculum as his peers, but he will probably be part of a group that will be made to think about their future work.  You have to understand that in France the lycée is something that parents aspire to for their children.  When a child clearly doesn't have the capacity to go on to the lycée, (I'm not saying your son isn't bright, but if he can't write good French then he can't go) it can be very hard for the teachers to persuade the parents of this.  There almost has to be a period of grief, sort of letting go of this idea of the child who goes to the lycée. I know it sounds weird but that's the way it can be with French parents.  I suspect that the teacher was concerned about how you would react.  That's probably why you feel a lot of fuss was made.

Anyway, in 4ème, he will probably have the opportunity to do work experience, and to go to things like career fairs and meet with people in business, to try and find out what he would like to do.  As they suggest that he changes schools for the 3ème I suspect that they see him doing a "non standard" 3ème, there are lots of different possibilities, a DP6 for example, where he would have six hours of Decouverte Professionnelle, or a 3ème dérogatoire, it just means more or less work experience, careers advice and so on.  That's a while off, but if they are suggesting he leave the school for another then that would be why, these things are not offered everywhere.  It is not for troublesome pupils but for those who are perhaps not academic and who are quite motivated for work. Often, they don't continue with a second language, to have time to do the professional side.  He may not take the general brevet, something else, (there are a couple of possiblities but I don't really know anything about them) will be suggested. They can be given priority for entry in a CAP, a professional diploma which can be done as an apprentice or in an lycée professionnel.  Hope this helps.

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Thanks for that Tourangelle. It helps to an extent, but I still feel that getting your child into Lycee here is about as good as it gets in most cases.  The majority of Universities here are so-so at best, and then there is the lack of work after that. We have had distinguished looking older men in suits, with University Degrees in IT etc, turning up here looking for work at just serving food and drinks...it is pathetic.

Honestly, what good is Histoire and Geography is you wish to be a doctor of medicine, or a doctor of chemistry ?.

My son is not troublesome at all, but I feel that they have exhausted their tolerance of a non-french person at that school. The assistance he has been given in the past 3 years has been minimal in the extreme. We have persistently requested he be allowed to attend the local school around the corner, where he would have been much happier with his village friends, and better adjusted, but the old 'you must attend school in your commune' (even when that school is miles away) laws always prevailed. He never felt accepted at that school.

It seems the 'rules' are more important.

Thankyou for giving me the outline for his year in 4eme/3eme, but I am feeling more and more that France offers nothing beyond Lycee. It seems that everything worthwhile  and productive  happens during your school years here, after that...hello Assedic.

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Wen,

It's interesting reading all the comments.  Having taught CAP to 14 to 24 year olds I would assume that your son's teacher is assuming that he will make little more progress in written French, and is therefore making suitable provision for him to access the CAP earlier than most.  I had one 14 year old on the programme who was bright, but had a physical disability.  The CAP can lead to BEP and then BAC PRO and onto higher education, however histoire/geo is still required and a 10 is necessary, or else the whole year is failed.

As your son's French speaking is coming on, I would encourage himto think about what he really wants to do and then go back to the school and find out what the possible options are.  During the CAP he may have to do English - and so use these times to have 1:1 provision for enhancing his written French, but he may only be in the learning centre for 1 week out of four!  The other weeks are often in the work environment.

I hope it all works out for you all.

Margaret

 

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