Living in France - ds shocking mid-term report- what can/should I do to help...sorry long post

[mountaingirl]

Hi, we've lived in France for years and ds1 has had all his education here. He is now in 4eme in college and I thought from various tests he has brought back and shown me that he was doing better at his schoolwork this year. His french grammar has improved but today he threw his mid-term report at me before he legged it out of the door for school... It was awful, his maths is just appalling and his science physique the same in fact he has 2 N.Not, whatever that means. His SVT teacher hasn't even written in the result though scouting through his files I have found one test result as 3.5, I assume that it it out of 10 though maybe it was out of 20. I just can't seem to get him to understand the importance of working, though he seemed to be doing better at doing his homework. If he carries on this way he will have to redo the year, but I'm cross as the teachers don't notify us about these results. I feel so cross with him but really don't want to lose my temper with him. I think he should have extra help my dh doesn't think so and feel he just needs to learn to apply himself. He, if he does manage to go up at the end of the year would be doing his brevet next year. I wonder if we should take him out of this school. I feel like sending him to a strict boarding school in the UK that would make him work beacause I can't!! Any advice from parents who have been through the same/similar please.

Hi, is the language an issue? can the threat of redoublement work?

sorry no real help but wanted to sympathise. I was educated in the french system & my parents (who were british) hadn't got a clue what I was up to.

Thanks for your reply Malfoy. Ds is completely bilingual though I feel he lacks the flowery fashion that the french like to express themselves, hence mixed marks in French. He claims he works, heads off to his bedroom but obviously not in some subjects despite repeated reminders. I thought I had got him to understand the importance of studying this year in order for him to go on to the lycee he'd like to in the future. Did you find the french system hard? Did you do ok in the brevet? What age did you come to France? We are both british also. Maybe I need to speak to the school and get him put on a contract to improve his marks. I do hate the way here they are so quick to make a child redouble.

hi again. I did find the french system hard in that it is quite rigid & if you fall behind it's hard to catch up + you can't really drop the stuff you are bad at.

I had problems with maths when I was in 3eme and my parents got me a tutor to help. it made a world of difference for me and gave me confidence. I did do ok in the brevet.

we moved to france when I was one so language wasn't an issue either but I always felt my parents were slightly bewildered by the system because they were not french.

I agree with you re the redoublement.

You must be really worried.
I taught in a collège for one year, and a lycée for another year before starting to work in the university, so I can try and come at this from the teachers' angle for you.

The N.Not presumably means that the work was non noté because it was not really markable (i.e. hadn't been handed in, was illegible, or if it was a test in class almost none of the work had actually been done).

As for the other marks you mention, they definitely mean that DS will be advised to redouble the year. I have mixed feelings on this issue, as I've seen some students really progress while re-taking a year, while those who were not all that interested to start with just lose interest even more.

There is a real communication problem between teachers and parents in the French system; if you contact the teachers to try and discuss matters, they should appreciate your interest and try and help you find solutions. At the very least their feedback would let you know exactly how much homework your DS is actually doing, and what his attitude in class is like.

From teaching bilingual students, including French/English bilinguals studying English at university level, my experience has been that they often speak both languages very well, but are much weaker when writing. The French education system does require students to write in quite formal French, and often students find it hard to adjust from very informal spoken language to a written register. Lots of students in France, not just bilingual ones, have a weak grasp of French grammar, which goes undetected when they speak, but is very obvious on paper.

As far as extra tutoring goes, it might be helpful if your DS is pretending to do homework in his room but is in fact not getting down to it. At least if he had someone going through the work with him (and possibly explaining it more slowly than a teacher faced with a class of 30-odd pupils), he'd be looking at the work and not something else.

FWIW, 4ème is often a really tough year for boys, when their hormones are running riot, teachers expect a lot and peer pressure is inciting them to muck about rather than work. As well as talking to the teachers, it might be helpful to talk to his friends' parents (if you think they're on your wavelength), and to your DS, to try and find out what is going on.
[And you thought your post was long??!!]

Thanks so much for your messages. Sorry yesterday I had major computer problems after dh installed antispy software..ie, forget about looking anything up as it blocked everything. Anyway I digress.

Last year I spoke to the teachers and they agreed to check and sign his agenda when there was work, that tailed off after a few weeks. The science phys teacher openly mocked ds in class after we spoke to him, which was hardly condusive to ds excelling in his class. (I discovered last night that ds had been given exercises to do a month ago, for today, and I had to chase around getting the question sheet at the last moment from his friend). Have looked at his maths exercise book and he seems to get +50% wrong. He really only seems to be concentrating on french, english and spanish.

The teachers always say ds's attitude in class is good but that he just doesn't do the extra work required around the subject afterwards. I was looking at his science phys text book last night and it's shocking really very little info. Where can I find more detailed help for him. Do either of you know of any dedicated sites? I think I will have to get extra help in, not that dh agrees. I've told him he has til February to get all his marks up or I'm finding him another school where he really will be pushed. Now I just have to find one!

AA what subject do you teach? Ds's friend here that he goes to school with is very studious and gets top marks. I just wish it would rub off on ds, never has done though! Ds wants to do well, wants to be liked, responds really well to +ve reinforcement and dreadfully to -ve but is at heart a lazy litte toad!!

I teach in the English dept, mainly literature & translation, as well as some CAPES/agrégation courses.
It's good his friend is studious, even if it's not rubbing off on your DS; better than having a more dosser type mate distracting him.
It does sound as if his teachers aren't particularly helpful.
I don't know offhand of any websites, but can have a look. If you are going to get tutoring for him, shop around, as Acadomia and the like often recruit students quite early on in their university studies. I'd steer clear of anyone who hasn't got at least a maîtrise (M1 in the new system), or DEA (M2). And don't forget that being at the IUFM to prepare the CAPES doesn't mean that students actually have what it takes to pass. If you're going to be shelling out for tuition, you want the person to be as competent as possible.

Hi,
Went to french lycee all the way through to baccalareat and it looks like he's not putting half the effort required.

The average home study time is 45mn/1 hour everyday and if there is a controle, that's another hour for that subjject/assignement provided you already are up to date.

Teachers are crap communicating with students and parents alike. It's all very victorian and they tend to label children (and parents!).

I was a top 5 pupil and still felt that attitude. I can totally sympathise with your feelings.

Now, boys at that age do need a mentor. Try and find who his favorite teacher is. Do talk to them and enlist their support and working on his self esteem in the classroom.
But he needs to put in the hours studying. Maybe a study buddy + math/physique support.

Also, don't want to sound alarming but do check who he hangs out with/what goes on his room (I'm thinking pot :9 )

good luck

PS: hope I did not cause too much offense with last remark but it is quite common with the situation you describe.

My younger brother did smoke his first joint in 4e whilst in the national junior basketball team training 3 hours twice a week!! we never saw it coming!

Is he is the state or the public system? I think it is far better that he has problems this year than next as 3° is brevet year and the pressure is really on.

I have four children in the french system - three private and one at lycee professional - she is just not academic and has found her vocation in life at long last, which is cooking. The lycee professional is full of children with your childs - and mines - profile; supposedly bright non workers/achievers. ,She is doing the brevet (same as the mainstream) at a much more relaxed pace, with support ++++ and 'guidance' which means the students cannot slide gently off the scale......

I would ask for a meeting with the director and his principal teacher and perhaps one other ( I have done this and found it very useful) - a teacher in a subject where he is working or at least keen, to balance things out a bit.

What does he think about all this? Is he worried? Does he talk to you?

Oh, and my dd had a law student from CIJA for four hours a week (sometimes more) to help with homework/organisation/gettind down to grindstone. I have to say that nothing changed. Worked brilliantly for a few weeks then it all slipped, in spite of everyones best, frustrating effoerts. This year is far more positive academically (everything crossed)!

Thanks for all your replies. Sorry not to have responded but we popped back to the UK for a long weekend.
Slim22 I don't think ds is doing pot I'd smell it a mile off, plus for the moment at least he seems very anti smoking anything..long may that last!
I think we will have to ask for a meeting with school though sc physic teacher is off sick for the next 5 weeks!(Though not much point in talking to him after last years fiasco).
GGG, it is impossible to say whether ds is worried about this, though he wasn't happy at the idea that I might ask the school to put him on a contract. I need to fully understand the implications of that prior to doing it.Though if that makes him buckle down then I'm very happy to do it.
I'm not overly happy with the school today as ds didn't have sc pys today and when he and a friend went into etude they weren't allowed in as the person running it was going out so they got booted out into the playground until the bus came at 11h30.