France
Selected education policies for France
Digital Strategy for Higher Education (Stratégie numérique pour l’enseignement supérieur, 2013)
►. Level of resilience: Learner
One of the key aims of France’s Digital Strategy for Higher Education, launched in 2013, was to provide more flexible and personalised learning experiences for students and the wider public. As part of this, the France Digital University (France Université Numérique) platform (2013) brings together some 547 massive open online courses (MOOCs) designed by educators working in the higher education sector. However, a 2015 report from the European Commission notes that the majority of users are university graduates, rather than current higher education students or those outside of the system (European Commission, 2015[6]). Another effort is the Sup-numérique platform (2015), which contains over 30 000 digital learning resources aimed at higher education professionals, students, and the wider public. Other aspects of the digital strategy focus on embedding digital pedagogy to meet the increasingly diverse needs of learners, and on improving the digital infrastructure of higher education institutions.
These measures supported the transition to distance learning in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the online platforms made a range of distance-learning opportunities available to workers wishing to develop their skills. As part of its COVID-19 recovery plan, France allocated EUR 35 million to developing blended learning and digital resources in the higher education sector (Ministry for the Economy, Finance, and Recovery of France, 2020[7]).
Further reading: Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation of France (2015[8]), Stratégie numérique pour l’enseignement supérieur [Digital Strategy For Higher Education], https://www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/cid89439/le-numerique-service-une-universite-performante-innovante-ouverte-sur-monde.html#numerique-outil-renovation-pratiques-pedagogiques (accessed on 1 April 2021).
1 youth, 1 solution (1 Jeune, 1 Solution, 2020)
►. Level of resilience: System
In July 2020, France launched a wide-ranging set of measures to protect 16-25 year-olds from the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The overarching goals of the strategy are to facilitate young peoples’ transitions to the world of work, to train 200 000 young people for the jobs of the future, and to support young people who have fallen out of work in developing a ‘personalised career path’. As part of these measures, the government aims to create 100 ‘digital campuses’ (campus connectés) by 2021 to bring higher education learning opportunities to young people in isolated regions. The development and implementation of the strategy involves three government ministries, as well as social partners and youth organisations. Local and regional authorities work alongside social partners and employers to adapt the national strategy to the local context and identify priority sectors within the job market. They are also encouraged to work with local youth organisations in order to reach out to young people and to connect them with the services they need. The strategy will be monitored using local, regional, and national level indicators relating to employment and youth participation. Evaluation will pay particular attention to areas of the country experiencing economic difficulties and to groups at risk of discrimination.
Further reading: Government of France (2020[9]), Plan 1 Jeune, 1 Solution [The 1 Youth, 1 Solution Plan], https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/dp_plan_jeunes.pdf (accessed on 1 April 2021).
References
European Commission (2015), Education and Training Monitor: Country Analysis, https://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/education/tools/docs/2015/monitor15-vol-2_en.pdf (accessed on 1 April 2021). [6]
Government of France (2020), Plan 1 Jeune, 1 Solution [The 1 Youth, 1 Solution Plan],, Government of France, https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/dp_plan_jeunes.pdf (accessed on 1 April 2021). [9]
Ministry for the Economy, Finance, and Recovery of France (2020), Hybridation, et services numériques aux étudiants [Hybridisation and digital student services], https://www.economie.gouv.fr/plan-de-relance/profils/administrations/hybridation-services-numeriques-etudiants (accessed on 1 April 2021). [7]
Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation of France (2015), Stragtégie numérique pour l’enseignement supérieur, https://www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/cid89439/le-numerique-service-une-universite-performante-innovante-ouverte-sur-monde.html#numerique-outil-renovation-pratiques-pedagogiques (accessed on 1 April 2021). [8]
OECD (2020), Learning remotely when schools close: How well are students and schools prepared? Insights from PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/3bfda1f7-en. [2]
OECD (2020), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en. [1]
OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results (Volume II): Where All Students Can Succeed, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/b5fd1b8f-en. [4]
OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What School Life Means for Students’ Lives, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/acd78851-en. [5]
OECD (2019), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en. [3]