French strategy office recommends higher teacher pay and smaller classes

France’s declining student population could give the government room to reduce class sizes and raise teacher pay, according to a report from the High Commission for Strategy and Planning.

Pierre-Yves Cusset, a project leader in the commission’s society and social policy department, said the fall in school enrollment had already reached primary education and would spread to middle schools. “A portion of this room for maneuver should be used to continue reducing class sizes and to raise teacher salaries because we have a problem with the profession’s attractiveness,” he said.

The report offered 11 recommendations aimed at improving French students’ performance, which it described as weak compared with other OECD countries. It proposed a school week of at least four and a half days, in line with the norm in OECD countries, along with evaluations of school textbooks.

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A portion of this room for maneuver should be used to continue reducing class sizes and to raise teacher salaries because we have a problem with the profession’s attractiveness.

It also suggested experimenting with specialization among primary school teachers, supported by certifications tied to learning stages or subjects. Teacher training, the report said, should focus more on observing classroom practice and applying teaching methods supported by research.

The commission said students’ difficulties could not be explained by the number of mathematics and French lessons in primary school, since both exceed the European average. Science instruction, however, remains limited. The report called for reforms to be measurable, including through their effects on student results, and for those results to be made public. It also warned that France reforms its education system frequently, perhaps too frequently.

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France often reforms its national education system, probably too often.