During the presentation of the Certificates of Basic Studies (CEB), which sanctions sufficient knowledge in French, mathematics and early learning to be able to integrate secondary education, a curious ritual has developed. In several schools now, students who have passed the certificate are wearing a small hat, or even dressed in an academic gown. Like students when they are proclaimed and graduate from college.
A fun and innocent little wink to brighten up a moment of rejoicing, or a silly new fad? The educational psychologist Bruno Humbeeck launched the debate on enseignons.be: “it may be amusing but it is unquestionably absurd”decides the educational psychologist at the University of Mons, and specialist in bullying issues in schools.
According to him, this fashion “further contributes to adding confusion to the meaning given to this evaluation when it is made an instrument of early screening or early distinction.” According to him, symbols of prestige and emancipation are associated with children. “transformed into students by the magic of the school who will remain students beyond the success (or failure) of the CEB and will not even access student status by entering secondary school.”
Do not confuse student with pupil.
For Bruno Humbeeck, confusing the status of pupil with that of student, “it’s not just a question of semantic cosmetics, it’s literally a way of setting up the conditions for a terrible pedagogical vagueness that tangles the didactic techniques used during secondary education with those we do more economics in higher education. If 18-year-old young adults are pushed to gain autonomy, 11-year-olds are far from this stage.
“Children who have just passed their CEB still need to be considered as students because they obviously still need adults to support them in their learning and there can be no question of considering them as capable of ‘learn systematically and completely by their own means by endeavoring to seek out the knowledge they need from among those made available to the community of students of which they are a part.
Early exclusion
For the specialist: “all this carnivalesque ceremonial associated with the success of the CEB is a little ridiculous in the form it takes. damage by generating inappropriate stress in the educational community and above all, (…) among the 15% who have not acquired the right to strut around in a toga, throw a toque and participate in this inappropriate carnival. ”
Those who failed “Already, at age twelve, feel like they’ve been kicked out of the ‘corporation’ of those who are allowed to take part in the ceremony because they aren’t allowed to dress up.”
An opinion that was not unanimous on social networks, some seeing in this new fashion a simple gesture marking the end of early childhood, closing six years of work.