Emmanuel Macron He reignited the debate on school schedules during an interview with the media outlet Brut. According to him, France could fundamentally rethink the organization of school time in middle and high school, with school days "shorter" et a significant reduction of summer holidays to "one big month"The president defends this measure as a way to improve learning.
A pedagogical and social argument
Emmanuel Macron has advocated for lighter school days for students, proposing to start classes "A little later in the morning" and to finish earlier in the afternoon in order to free up time for sports or cultural activities. He stated that"With less busy days, we learn better.", while acknowledging that this should be accompanied by a reduction in vacation periods, particularly summer vacations. "We could start back a little earlier in August, we could go on holiday a little later. I think a full month of vacation would be feasible."the president said, emphasizing that France has "very long holidays", often more than in other European countries, which he believes can create social "injustice" between families.
The length of holidays at the heart of the debate
France currently has approximately eight weeks of summer vacation, a figure that fuels the debate on the balance between school time and summer rest. While some European countries offer even longer summer breaks for certain grade levels, others have shorter holidays, placing France in an intermediate position. The issue is divisive: should vacation time be reduced to improve learning, or should long periods of rest be preserved for children?
A proposal that has already been discussed
The president's thinking on this is not new. In 2023, Emmanuel Macron had already raised the possibility of shortening the summer holidays to allow some students to catch up, suggesting an earlier start to the school year for those who needed it. Each time, this idea sparked criticism and debate among teachers and social partners, demonstrating the scale of the issue and the sensitivity of school schedules in the public eye.
