Plateforme Interrégionale Échange et Coopération pour le développement culturel

“One choir per school” : National plan in music education in France

This plan “One choir per school” is an ambitious national device implemented by the Ministry of National Education and Youth in close cooperation with the Ministry of Culture since 2017, with the ambition to reach the objective, as indicated by the title, of getting at least one choir in each school over France the latest in 2019

The plan has launched an extraordinary dynamic in all territories and at all scales of administration, learning and educational supervision and pedagogy processes, with unprecedented implication of teachers, professionals of vocal and choral practices, the national and local associations and federations of choral singing practices, and many individuals interested in and concerned with choral singing.

 

In this context, Plate-forme interrégionale (PFI), umbrella association of resource centers for the development of artistic practices and of national association of artistic practice professionals has decided to:

  • Organize a national seminar on the formal and informal skills referential in the various diploma and curricula existing in France in relation with teaching and learning vocal and choral practices (1st and 2nd of July 2019 in Paris). Download the full report in English: 2019_ReferentielsCollectiveSingingSchoolPFI-EN
  • Implement a platform listing different kind of resources for creation and repertoire of collective singing at school: scores, recordings, digital tools, resource center to develop project in school (library, documentation, advise …): http://ressourceschorales.fr
  • The plan has been structured through different announcements and events:
    • The “starting day of the school year in music” implemented in september 2017 by the two Ministers of Culture and National Education and Youth with choral singing and music practice in all school willing to join this action,
    • The official presentation of the “one choral per school plan, in primary, secondary and high school” in December 2017, with partnerships between schools, conservatoires and amateur practice associations,
    • The consultation led by the Ministry of Culture with the main representatives of the umbrella associations and networks in the field of choral singing practices, with the publication of a report on this topic,
    • An evaluation mission on:
      • The development of repertoires, creation and resource platforms for choral singing,
      • The inventory and a reflection on existing and potential courses and curricula for teachers and trainers in school,
    • A Vademecum “The choir at school, college and high school”, published in may 2018 to help teachers to implement and carry on a choral project :

    https://eduscol.education.fr/cid130767/la-chorale-a-l-ecole-au-college-et-au-lycee.html

    • A New circular published by the Ministry of National Education in January 2019 for “the development of choral singing at school”, specifying the steering procedures and action levers to better define the territorial strategy for the development of choral singing and to reinforce the effectiveness of its implementation:

    https://artchoral.org/nouvelle-circulaire-pour-le-developpement-du-chant-choral-a-lecole