INCA Education around the world
France : Initial Teacher Training
- 7.1 First phase, pre-compulsory education, ages 2 - 6 [see 3.2.1]
- 7.2 Second phase, compulsory primary education, ages 6 - 11, [see 3.2.2]
- 7.3 Third phase, compulsory lower secondary education, ages 11 - 15, [see 3.2.3]
- 7.4 Fourth phase, post-compulsory upper secondary education (in schools), ages 15 - 18, [see 3.2.4]
The initial teacher training sections of the INCA website were orginally funded by the Training and Development Agency for School (TDA). They have not been updated since March 2009 and the information provided in them may have been superseded.
There have been recent reforms to the system of initial teacher training in France. The first major recent change was implemented in 2008 when all instituts universitaires de formation des maitres (IUFMs) (teacher training institutions) became part of the university to which they are attached. Others changes are being implemented from the 2009 academic year (September onwards), when all students registering to take the initial teaching training concours have to have a Masters Degree or be registered for the second year of study in a Masters programme. The content of the concours will also change. The concours for professeurs des écoles will comprise:
Two written tests
- French and humanist culture/humanities, in which candidates will have to analyse a text of no more than 10 pages on one of the following subjects - literature, history, geography, history, arts, civics and moral education; answer grammar questions relating to the text; and write an essay on the theory of knowledge or the history of the subjects concerned.
- Mathematics and science, in which candidates must solve some maths problems, analyse a scientific document and discuss questions posed.
Two oral tests
The concours during the secondary phase of teacher training also consists of two written tests but these cover the disciplines the candidates wishes to teach, plus the two oral tests above. 194 192
Linked to these reforms, universities are expected to prepare students for teaching careers before they take the concours. Students wishing to train as teachers must acquire a broad disciplinary culture. All must be familiar with the 'common foundation of knowledge and skills' on which the curriculum is based (see section 5). They should also be encouraged to pursue courses which would be useful to their teaching duties (basic psychology, sociology, history, philosophy, economics and law etc). Universities are also trying to ensure that students obtain cross-curricular skills such as modern foreign languages, information and communications technology (ICT) skills, methodological skills and communication skills. To ensure potential teachers have the requisite ICT skills an IT and Internet Certificate has also been introduced.194 192
