This article is taken from the monthly journal Sciences et Avenir – La Recherche #913 of March 2023.
The junction between secondary and higher education is a delicate period. Scholars have access to the files of the candidates, but they do not know the candidates and their institutions; without national school exams (which get in the way of the calendar), it’s hard for them to compare files. There is not enough information to make a classification that is not arbitrary. However, another way is also possible.
Two-phase orientation
Universities are big and produce a lot of diplomas. Is it possible to make a common first year, for example, for all courses in the “exact” sciences? This would allow much better than a motivation letter to get to know the students personally, and would also help to fill in gaps not related to the student, but to the circumstances of his secondary studies, hence the orientation towards the second year in better knowledge of the cause, as well as a fairer choice of courses. dual licensed.
Of course, this is not without drawbacks. Thus, this would delay the student’s period of disciplinary specialization by the same amount. In short, it will be an orientation in two stages: in the last year, the choice of university, then in the first year of the university, the choice of study, in which the student will continue his studies next year.
Claire Mathieu, Director of Research at CNRS, Institute for Basic Computer Science Research (CNRS/Université Paris Cité).