How do high school students see the reform of the bac?

Home » All our news » How do high school students see the reform of the bac?

INSEEC U. and Le Figaro Etudiant unveil the results of an OpinionWay survey on the baccalaureate reform as seen by high school students, parents and teachers.

This new school year is the second stage of the reform, with the creation of the new Terminale classes that will take the new bac in spring 2021. The general baccalaureate series L, ES, and S are disappearing to make way for à la carte courses, in order to better prepare high school students for higher education.

It is in this context that INSEEC U., in partnership with Le Figaro Etudiant, commissioned a survey from OpinionWay on the perception of the reform among those concerned. The positioning of high school students on these new developments is important for its schools since the group offers programs open to high school graduates.

501 high school students in Première and Terminale générale, 502 parents and 104 teachers responded to this survey. Interviews were conducted by online self-administered questionnaire from September 7 to 15, 2020.

A majority of high school students in favor of the reform, parents more divided

The majority of high school students surveyed are in favor of the reform (58% but only 5% “strongly”) but parents are more divided: 50% support the reform (including only 6% who support it “strongly”). The survey shows that high school students make their own decisions about their orientation, even if it is now more complex because of the reform: 51% of them think it is still too early to choose the courses that will define their path in higher education. However, high school students are satisfied (92%) with the choices of options made for this new baccalauréat.

Lack of information on the modalities

To learn about the new reform, 78% of high school students surveyed asked their teachers, as did 45% of parents, before turning to the Internet. The level of information provided seems insufficient, however, as the majority of young people know little about the reform and its organization during their high school years. This finding was also noted among the parents and teachers interviewed, although the latter were on the front lines.

Skeptical and concerned teachers

The responses of 104 teachers in Première or Terminale classes show that the majority of them are worried and more reluctant about the reform. They are apprehensive about its functioning and effectiveness, 71% are unfavorable. Teachers are also wary of the inequalities among students that may result from this reform because some options will not be available in all schools.

Ce sondage démontre que les lycéens ne sont pas contre le changement. Les générations d’étudiants à venir sont de plus en plus curieuses et ouvertes, au caractère affirmé, et ont une approche moins formatée des études, en phase avec le caractère multi-profil du nouveau baccalauréat.

C’est la raison pour laquelle nous avons pris l’initiative avec notre partenaire Le Figaro Etudiant d’interroger les lycéens. Les résultats confirment que l’évolution de notre modèle pédagogique va dans le sens de la réforme, en proposant une offre interdisciplinaire, plus riche et diversifiée. Celle-ci met l’accent sur le développement des soft skills, davantage d’autonomie via la part de cours dispensés en e-learning, plus d’accompagnement personnalisé pour tenir compte de la singularité et du projet de chacun et un rapport au monde de l’entreprise plus précoce via des mises en situation proche des réalités professionnelles. 

José MILANO

Directeur Général INSEEC U.

Visionner les résultats de l’enquête sur la réforme du BAC en 2 minutes

→ Find the full infographic below:

Updated 31 January 2022