"You take a few bulletins, several so that people do not watch for whom you vote and a blue envelope, that one".I look at my offspring, Candide, then asks him "where are we going now?"»».He looks up, disappointed "well towards the booth behind the curtains!"»»."Very good, I'm me.
- Especially not dad!We are not allowed to return to several.
- No but at your age, you can, you just have to be wise and you don't say anything.»»
The rest of the route is almost without fault, just a small confusion between assessors and elevators who makes the predisposed to the function smile.I was thinking of making the son discover one of the most solemn moments of a citizen's life, but obviously his instit 'had already prepared it very well "we talked about it all week and then we elected our delegates like that.»»
Besides, observing well, other parents seem to be engaged in the same exercise. « Elle a voulu se présenter mais elle a pas été élue, elle»» me glisse-t-il, sur le ton de la confidence, en pointant du doigt une petite camarade."These are the rules of democracy, and you introduced yourself?"
- It's not okay !I don't want to have trouble.»» Question de point de vue.
Class delegates, high school life council ...
Civic awakening is one of the many missions of the school, in the broad sense of the term, which, we tend to forget it, also forms future citizens. Dans les faits, au collège du moins, elle reste souvent cantonnée à « l’Éducation civique»» devenue « Enseignement Moral et Civique»», EMC pour les intimes, et au programme d'Histoire.At 16, a student will leave compulsory education with a baggage of civic knowledge: the history of the conquest of the vote, the organization of our institutions, the rights and duties of the citizen, the virtues of citizen engagement (politics,humanitarian, association ...) among others.From the primary, up to the final year, there is also a little practice: election of class delegates, students representing CVC (Collégienne Council of Life), CVL (Council of High School life) or counciladministration.In the latter, saint des saints of the establishment, teens, however, have the impression, most often, of being green plants, a place where their word is listened to politely, without going further.
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Pour les plus motivés, la vraie rencontre avec la « politique»» se fait souvent au sein de syndicats lycéens, d'étudiants à la fac, ou dans les sections « jeunes»» des partis.Highlighted during the big meetings of the various candidates, these young people are however the tree which hides the forest.Only 58 % of 18-25 voted last Sunday.This does not mean that French youth are disengaging from the life of the city.She chooses her forms of engagement rather: 25 % of members to the various movements for the climate are between 15 and 25 years old for example. Beaucoup estiment ce type de luttes sociétales ou environnementales plus efficaces que la « politique à papa»».Yet without votes expressed in the ballot boxes, their voice is less heard, do not ourselves ourselves.
Freinet method
The theoretical package acquired during schooling and the elections of delegates are obviously not enough, to interest students in democratic life.Here again the role of the family is decisive, but within the school some lines of reflection exist to arouse their interest.Among them, the organization of debates in class.Piled up for a long time by the Freinet method, encouraged by the institution, the culture of the debate is however not very developed in secondary compared to our European or North American neighbors.However, in the country of associations law 1901, real food of democratic expression, philosophy courses in terminal and bars-PMU, the soil is fertile.
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The educational virtues of the debate are known.Students are invited to dialogue rather than screaming on it.They argue, counter-argument, on various subjects adapted to their age.They learn to defend their ideas by discussing.But we can also make them think about a position opposed to theirs or push them to seek a consensus to take into account the opinion of the other.The documentary corpus generally distributed before exchanges, allows students to sharpen and justify their arguments.A debate is preparing, it takes time and a minimum of experience. Il n'est pas question ici de poser une question « pour ou contre»» en début d'heure puis la laisser en pâture aux élèves en espérant que, tels de vieux sages, ils palabrent tranquillement à l'ombre d'un baobab.No, it would quickly be chaos and big mouths, the personalities would have quickly imposed themselves.Here you have to focus on ideas and nothing but ideas to hope.Reflection rather than automation.
Necessary reforms
The first debates I organized were poorly controlled.I had not received any concrete training and had only relying on online resources or examples, which have since expanded. C'est avec le temps et les conseils des « anciens»» que j'ai appris à mieux les structurer.Real modules on the subject during the initial training of young colleagues, often affected in establishments where the debates can be stormy, would be of precious help.Likewise, a time spent more important to the organization of EMC debates would be welcome.The material is interesting but its program is not very readable and its implementation is sometimes a puzzle.Order it more clearly towards learning the debate within the framework of a democratic life would be interesting, provided obviously not to come and overload an already extremely dense program, nor to invent a new gas factory which does not make sense.A recovery from the discipline rather.
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Comme ils étaient affairés à leur brevet blanc, je n'ai posé qu'une seule question à mes 3èmes, les plus « grands»» donc, au lendemain du scrutin. « Seriez-vous allés voter dimanche dernier ? La prochaine, en 2027, ce sera votre tour !»».Half, approximately, replied in the negative." What's the point ?They pretend to listen to during the elections, then after they listen more and do what they want.»» « Mais si vous ne votez pas, comment vous ferez-vous entendre ?»». « Il n'y a pas que le vote»» me répond A.
Well ... it is not won, the succession of citizen seems, at least in part, already disillusioned.Thinking about what school can do to get teens more in the democratic process is important, but obviously this will not be enough.A graduate, informed, connected, this youth, who has the impression of having been sacrificed by the COVVID crisis (71 % of 18-25 year olds say it according to an Opinion Way survey of September 2021) needs wages.Taking into account their concerns about their professional integration (with less precarious and more remunerative jobs than those recruiting the most currently), but also those related to major issues, such as the climate, must result in concrete policies,urgent, legible ... it is the responsibility of women and men currently in business. Une frustration alliée à un certain relativisme « de toute façon tous les mêmes»» est un cocktail dangereux. « Après nous le déluge»» attribue-t-on tantôt à Louis XV, tantôt à la marquise de Pompadour.We know the continuation of the story.
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