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Rabat – While long known for its academic excellence, France is grappling with a math education crisis that is reverberating from the country’s elementary classrooms to its university lecture halls.
A recent report by Le Figaro sheds light on the “alarming” state of French students’ mathematical skills, citing ineffective teaching methods and inadequate teacher training as the culprits behind the educational breakdown.
The report, titled “Mathematics: The Alarming Level of French Students,” not only sheds light on the struggles within the French education system but also inadvertently underscores the remarkable achievements of Moroccan students who are stepping into the limelight.
Renowned mathematician and Inspector General Charles Torossian, a co-author of a 2018 report on mathematics education, pulls no punches on the severity of France’s math education crisis.
“The French education system spends too much time on addition when our brains are wired for it! Even cows can add!” he lamented. “On the contrary, multiplication and division are challenging for all humans worldwide, even in China and Singapore! Few people have intuitive multiplication skills.”
In contrast, Torossian commends the intuitive grasp of complex mathematical concepts exhibited by Moroccan students.
French educators are witnessing a paradigm shift in classrooms and lecture halls across France. Valéry, a mathematics professor, observes a steady decline in the mathematical proficiency of French students, while lauding the exceptional performance of Moroccan students.
Read also: Moroccan Students Dominate Entrance Exam at France’s Ecole Polytechnique
“Surprisingly, on my roster of forty students, only five completed their high school education in France. Moroccan students exhibit exceptional strength and skill,” he notes, emphasizing the enrichment they bring to France’s struggling universities and elite schools.
To meet the challenge of increasing the annual number of Arts et Métiers graduates from 2,000 to 3,000, particularly given the worrying academic results of French students, Laurent Champeney, President of the Conférence des grandes écoles (CGE) and Director of Arts et Métiers, spoke about France’s policy of reaching out to foreign students, particularly Moroccans, to help close the country’s achievement gap in its leading institutions of higher learning.
“We are diversifying our sources beyond the preparatory classes, reaching out to other breeding grounds and exploring territories such as Morocco, aware of the potential of students from this region,” he said.
At a time when French institutions are actively seeking talent abroad, including in Morocco, this collaborative exchange is not only a response to the challenges facing French education, but also a cause for celebration.
In particular, the move is a celebration of the diversity, cross-cultural learning and invaluable contributions of Moroccan students who are redefining the narrative of excellence at prestigious French institutions.
