On December 5, the announcement came like a blow: the mathematics level of 15-year-old French students had plummeted.
According to the highly anticipated Pisa report (1) from the OECD which states, even though France is the 7th economic power in the world, it only ranks 26th in mathematics and in scientific culture.
Enough to challenge the then Minister of Education, Gabriel Attal.
In the wake of these results, he announced a series of measures: “Singapore method”, recruitment of new teachers, anticipated baccalaureate test “dedicated to mathematics and scientific culture”, creation of level groups, new programs for the primary...
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Since then, Gabriel Attal has become Prime Minister and on the occasion of March 14, World Mathematics Day, he joined forces with Miss France 2024, Ève Gilles, whom he named “ambassador” in order to encourage girls to study mathematics and pursue a professional career in this field.
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In a video published this Thursday, March 14 on the Instagram account of the new French beauty queen, Gabriel Attal insists that he wants to “continue to move forward for math” and is committed to ensuring that “the share of girls who do math” or an “absolute priority”.
“There are still too many girls who censor themselves, who say to themselves: “Maths is not for me.”
We have to change that,” insists the head of government, facing the camera.
Before “passing” his phone to Ève Gilles.
Miss France, a second year student of a MIASHS degree (Mathematics and Computer Science Applied to Human and Social Sciences) confirms the “lack of parity” in the scientific and mathematical sectors.
However, they train “for professions of the future such as artificial intelligence, engineering, statistics, astronomy, research”.
“I noticed in my promotion at university that there are too few women (…) Too few of us choose mathematics and sciences, so let’s have many get involved,” encourages the young woman 20 years old.
In a study by the Institute of Public Policies (IPP), made public in January, the dropout of girls in mathematics is observed from first grade.
A phenomenon which “questions the weight of gender stereotypes which weigh on students”, and “suggests that they spread early and very widely in society”.
(1) Pisa: International program for monitoring student achievement.