Le Redoublement à L'école: Une Maladie Universelle?

Abstract

In France, despite efforts on the part of the authorities, grade repetition continues to be practised in schools. Internationally, there is a great diversity of pratice in this area, both in Europe and in the rest of the world. In European countries that use repetition, such as Belgium, France and Switerland, teachers affirm their confidence in the positive results of the practice. Much research, however, indicates that repetition is not beneficial to the pupil concerned. Furthermore, it is possible, using standardized tests developed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, to demonstrate that countries which have abandoned grade repetition have not suffered a lowering of educational standards, nor have they incurred extra costs. One way to reduce the need for repetition would be to give teachers better information on the real potentialities of each pupil, thus helping them to practice a more individualized form of pedagogy.