Bruno Le Maire's Plan to School Children from Age 1 Sparks Criticism
Listen to the story
Bruno Le Maire is a French politician. He has a new idea about school. He wants children to start school at age 1.
Right now, French children start maternelle at age 3. Maternelle is like a first school for small kids. Le Maire wants children to start much earlier.
Many people do not like this idea. People who work with small children are angry. They say a baby of 1 year old cannot go to a real school.
A group called the SNPPE also spoke about this. SNPPE is a group for early childhood workers. They said early childhood is not a cheap copy of school.
One person said: 'At 1 year old, you cannot call this a school.' Many people agree with this. They think the plan is a bad idea.
The word 'absurd' was used to describe the plan. This means people think the idea does not make sense. The plan is getting a lot of criticism now.
Vocabulary15 words
- maternelle
- school in France for very young children, before primary school
- criticism
- words that say something is bad or wrong
- proposal
- an idea or plan someone suggests
- professional
- a person who works and has skill in a job
- politician
- a person who works in government
- early childhood
- the first years of a child's life
- absurd
- very silly; does not make sense
- cheap copy
- a bad version of something real
- group
- many people together
- idea
- a thought or plan
- angry
- feeling very upset or mad
- plan
- an idea for what to do
- real
- true, not fake
- age
- how many years old someone is
- start
- to begin
Quiz
Answer key
1. Children to start school at age 1 2. — 3. A first school for small children in France
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Bruno Le Maire is a French _____. He has a new idea about school.
He wants children to start school at _____ 1.
Right now, French children start _____ at age 3.
Many people do not like this _____.
People who work with small children are _____.
They say a baby of 1 year old cannot go to a real _____.
A group called the SNPPE also spoke about this.
SNPPE is a group for early _____ workers.
They said early childhood is not a _____ copy of school.
The word '_____' was used to describe the plan.
The plan is getting a lot of _____ now.