Summary of the Secondary Education Council (CSD) on January 20th, 2025
Written by attending parents: Caroline Després and Philippe Fritsch.
This is not an official report.
Agenda:
- Approval of the minutes from the CSD meeting on November 6, 2024
- School calendar 2025-2026
- Miscellaneous questions
Attendees (8 people):
LFIT: Anne-Laure CAMPELS – Principal,
Guillaume JUBLOT – Chief Education Advisor,
Jean-Idriss RAGOUVIN – Deputy Principal,
Mr. Dahmane – DAF
Parent representatives: Caroline Després and Philippe Fritsch (via video)
Student representatives: Marius Ritter and Maya
Teacher and administrative staff representatives: none
Meeting started at 4:10 PM.
1. Approval of the minutes from the CSD meeting on November 6, 2024
Unanimously approved.
2. School calendar 2025-2026
Validation process:
The proposed calendar is submitted for review to the teachers’ council, school council, CSD, and CVCL.
Then, the school board votes and the calendar is presented to the diplomatic post, IEN, and AEFE for validation. If rejected, it returns to the CE.
Must comply with AEFE guidelines.
Japanese holidays are integrated into vacations when possible.
36 weeks with alternating 7 weeks of classes / 2 weeks of vacation.
177 working days (aligned with Kyoto, which has already voted on its calendar)
School starts September 1st, teacher pre-entry August 29th (same as in France)
1 working holiday in September (as usual)
The teachers’ council wishes to have July 1st off and instead work on Monday, November 3rd (Japanese holiday). Proposal approved by the Primary school council.
Days in green are non-working Japanese holidays.
The CSD agrees with the teachers’ council and Primary school council to work on November 3rd instead of July 1st.
3. Miscellaneous questions
3-1. Report cards:
Could it be possible, as in other AEFE establishments, to include students’ extracurricular engagements on report cards under a category like “School life/Engagement/Community service” managed by Student Life?
Currently, only delegate/CSD/CVCL commitments are reported. Previously, community service hours were reported but were unverifiable and led to abuses.
Civic engagements are reported on Parcoursup (even those outside the school). For schools not on Parcoursup, engagements are communicated on a case by case basis (US/Japanese universities). For specific school changes, the school prepares a file.
3-2. Equipment:
When is the currently out-of-order basketball hoop on the secondary side scheduled for replacement?
Replacement of basketball hoops on the tennis court, comparing movable and fixed hoops. Fixed hoops were abandoned due to extensive work required (drilling courts). Quotes are being requested, but no specific replacement date.
3-3. Cheating in secondary school:
Cheating continues regularly in secondary school, even predominantly in some subjects, despite numerous reports from parents for at least a year. Cheat sheets in pencil cases, phones, and even computers used during tests. Thanks Google, ChatGPT, etc. Given the shift to continuous assessment for the baccalaureate from 1ere, would it be possible to enforce simple exam measures during tests from 2nde? For example, putting jackets, bags, and pencil cases at the back of the classroom. Keep only the necessary items on the desk – three pens/pencils + calculator if needed for scientific subjects.
The issue will be discussed again in the pedagogical council (mentioned in the past) to put belongings at the back of the classroom during tests. Difficult to do for every test. Active surveillance is the best option. When cheating is proven, sanctions are applicable.
The maximum sanction is taking a replacement exam instead of continuous assessment (the year’s grades are canceled and replaced by a single exam).
The sanction depends on the student’s file (disciplinary sanction noted in the student’s file: temporary exclusion, warning, etc.).
The scale of sanctions is roughly the same in all establishments, but there is no national rule.
3-4. Teacher absences:
Would it be possible, when teachers are absent, as is sometimes already done, for students to be given appropriate work on the course rather than being left to their own devices?
This can be done under certain conditions: if the teacher has left work and the absence was anticipated, an AED must be available to supervise the work (not normal study hall).
There are several work spaces available for students. If parents want middle/high school students to be systematically in study hall during their free time, the internal rules will need to be changed. For now, students are free during their free time.
3-5. School trips:
Are there any announced school trips to be studied in the Secondary Council?
- First international trip to Bangkok (chess) completed: everyone returned with a trophy.
- SIMUN in Singapore: slight budget overrun covered by a private grant, so the project will proceed.
- Ambassadors in the Making in KL: awaiting budget finalization.
- AS football in Bangkok: significant budget overrun (1M yen), group of 45 students, issue with airfare prices due to a holiday in Thailand.
- AS Basketball in Phnom Penh in May (still finalizing budget)
- Maths-in-jeans, Hanoi in April: budget overrun (to be budgeted) only 12-13 students so the school should be able to book tickets and reduce the price.
- Trip to Hiroshima: budget is below the limit so no problem.
Once again, we see that the 150,000 yen limit is very restrictive for projects abroad. Removing this cap for zone projects will be on the agenda for the next CA meeting.
Meeting ended at 4:55 PM