Continuous Educational and Professional Guidance as a Means of Improving Chances in Education and Employment

At the end of September 2007, the French government set up a commission, chaired by Marcel Pochard, to examine how the profession of teacher is changing. The commission has been asked to produce a “green paper” assessing the current state of the profession, which in turn is to be the basis for a “white paper” with a view to reforming the present arrangements. The question of the educational guidance of schoolchildren will probably be among the topics discussed by the commission, given that teachers are so directly involved in it, which is why Futuribles is publishing this article by Claude Vimont on the subject of educational and careers guidance in France. According to Claude Vimont, there are several problems with the way that such guidance is given at present, leading to a high failure rate and consequently a poor return on expenditure. Such is his first conclusion, backed up by international comparisons. He makes a case for “continuous guidance in a more efficient educational system and a more mobile society” and proposes a reassessment of when guidance is offered in the course of the school and professional career (in line with the generally accepted idea of “lifelong learning”) in order to take account of today’s economic uncertainties and the fact that people are working for longer. In addition to a reform of the apprenticeship system and making university courses more “vocational”, he argues that two changes are necessary: an interview with failing students to offer them different options, and the creation of an independent public body responsible for information and guidance to replace the existing ones. For adults, despite the handful of measures already in place (e.g. relating to the recognition of professional experience), he says that the scope is endless: devising career paths that optimize job security, helping people to make career decisions that take account of foreseeable developments in employment, etc. What is important is to develop a truly integrated vision of educational and professional guidance throughout people’s lives …