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EDUCATION

Why French school pupils are among the happiest in the world

France is known for a rigid schooling system, but French students may be happier than their foreign counterparts, according to a new study.

Why French school pupils are among the happiest in the world
Photo: Racorn/Depositphotos
French 15-year-olds ranked as the 6th most satisfied with their life among the 35 OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, and 15th of the 72 OECD and partner countries, beating the US and UK. 
 
Only 7.4 percent of French pupils say they are dissatisfied with their life, compared to a 12 percent average in an OECD study of well-being among 15-year-olds among some 72 countries, this comes as the third instalment of the PISA 2015 study. 
 
French pupils scored an average of 7.63 out of 10 on the life satisfaction scale, just below Switzerland, with Mexico coming top (data was unavailable for some countries like Australia).
 
Why so many smiling students?
 
Here are a few reasons to feel relieved you're sending your child to a school in France. 
 
Less time studying (and better grades)
 
One reason more French 15-year-olds may be skipping to school is that they spend less time chained to the text books, leaving more time for extra-curricular activities.
 
French students spend less time studying than the OECD average, with 10 percent of students spending at least 60 hours a week studying in and out of school compared to the average of 13.3 percent. Comparatively, 20 percent of US students spend 60 hours a week or more studying. 
 
But surprisingly, less time on the books doesn't lower performance in France.
 
Indeed, France is among a small section of counties where students have above average life satisfaction as well as above average performance, at least when it comes to science. 
 
However previous studies have noted that French students struggle with maths. 
 
 
Photo: AFP
 
 
Less schoolwork stress
 
French pupils score below the average for motivation to achieve, which might sound like a bad thing, but they also scored below average on schoolwork related anxiety. The US and UK scored above average on both counts.  
 
Less bullying
 
Students in France are safer from bullies in the school yard, placing below average for exposure to all types of bullying.
 
Only 3 percent of pupils said they had been hit and pushed around at school at least a few times a month compared to the OECD average of 4.3 percent. 
 
But…
 
France's pupils were far from top of the class in all the areas that are thought to decrease well-being, such as low engagement in sports and internet addiction.
 
French 15-year-olds showed lower than average engagement in sports and around 80 percent said they would be very upset if their internet connection was broken – significantly higher than the OECD average of 54 percent, putting them in the top three below Taipei Chinese and Swiss students.
 
 
 
 
By Rose Trigg

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EDUCATION

Inquiry calls for free after-school care for 6-9 year-olds in Sweden

Children between ages 6-9 years should be allowed admittance to after-school recreation centers free of charge, according to a report submitted to Sweden’s Minister of Education Lotta Edholm (L).

Inquiry calls for free after-school care for 6-9 year-olds in Sweden

“If this reform is implemented, after-school recreation centers will be accessible to the children who may have the greatest need for the activities,” said Kerstin Andersson, who was appointed to lead a government inquiry into expanding access to after-school recreation by the former Social Democrat government. 

More than half a million primary- and middle-school-aged children spend a large part of their school days and holidays in after-school centres.

But the right to after-school care is not freely available to all children. In most municipalities, it is conditional on the parent’s occupational status of working or studying. Thus, attendance varies and is significantly lower in areas where unemployment is high and family finances weak.

In this context, the previous government formally began to inquire into expanding rights to leisure. The report was recently handed over to Sweden’s education minister, Lotta Edholm, on Monday.

Andersson proposed that after-school activities should be made available free of charge to all children between the ages of six and nine in the same way that preschool has been for children between the ages of three and five. This would mean that children whose parents are unemployed, on parental leave or long-term sick leave will no longer be excluded. 

“The biggest benefit is that after-school recreation centres will be made available to all children,” Andersson said. “Today, participation is highest in areas with very good conditions, while it is lower in sparsely populated areas and in areas with socio-economic challenges.” 

Enforcing this proposal could cause a need for about 10,200 more places in after-school centre, would cost the state just over half a billion kronor a year, and would require more adults to work in after-school centres. 

Andersson recommends recruiting staff more broadly, and not insisting that so many staff are specialised after-school activities teachers, or fritidspedagod

“The Education Act states that qualified teachers are responsible for teaching, but that other staff may participate,” Andersson said. “This is sometimes interpreted as meaning that other staff may be used, but preferably not’. We propose that recognition be given to so-called ‘other staff’, and that they should be given a clear role in the work.”

She suggested that people who have studied in the “children’s teaching and recreational programmes” at gymnasium level,  people who have studied recreational training, and social educators might be used. 

“People trained to work with children can contribute with many different skills. Right now, it might be an uncertain work situation for many who work for a few months while the employer is looking for qualified teachers”, Andersson said. 

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