My name is Joseph Alexandre, I am in 3rd grade and I am doing an internship at m-work, a start-up on the theme of teleworking. During the lockdowns, I experienced distance learning, and today I am writing an article on the dropout of middle and high school students.
High school and middle school students dropping out
The first lockdown in 2020 left many French adolescents with no resources or desire to follow the curriculum.
In fact, 8% of students dropped out at the start of lockdown in France, then 4%, or 500,000 students, had a dropout period during the first lockdown. This places France among the European countries that had the lowest dropout rate with, in addition, a decrease during this period.
On average 2 out of 5 students often lacked motivation during this lockdown, the same number of students spent a maximum of 2 hours a day working, and 20% of students had trouble organizing their time. Most were distracted by their screens, their families...
In addition, around 10% of students did not live in very good working conditions. They did not have enough material or had to share it among themselves, a lack of space with too many families and a lack of support.
Solutions and practices implemented
To respond to this problem of students dropping out of school with lockdowns, several means are used.
Les “homework done” * existed even before the crisis since this problem does not only date from 2020. But as the number of students who dropped out increased, this option became all the more important and took care of more students.
Personalized help is one hour per week for all students where the class is divided in two so that the teacher has more time to take care of each student. It allows students to have more explanations than in a traditional course.
Article 15 of Law No. 2019-791 of 26 July 2019 provides for the right, for each young person between 16 and 18 years old, to “be able to integrate a course adapted to their needs.” People who have dropped out may have an adapted upgrade, this school remobilization makes it easier for them to obtain their diploma.
ONISEP has provided specialized schools such as inclusive schools. These establishments are reserved for students with disabilities, and allow them to be helped during the crisis. Educational resources related to the current context have also been prepared, and many hours are dedicated to orientation for young people.
In addition, as part of the City's Priority Districts, a specific tutoring is already offered to young people weakened by this long lockdown.
The comparison with teleworking
The context in which France lived for part of 2020 has weakened young people, several hundreds of thousands of students have lost track, but this observation is also found in professional life. People working in companies have started to telework, and have stayed at a distance.
Because of this, some employees never returned to in-person work. This can cause these people to drop out, as well as for remote students. That's why m-work can be a solution to meet in the office more easily.
*Assignment done: Overtime for some students under the help of a tutor to do their work.
