MASTER'S DEGREE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING, PRIMARY LEVEL

The program is organized into three standard tracks. The first is for students who can attend classes in person. It is available at the five FDE sites (Carcassonne, Nîmes, Mende, Montpellier, and Perpignan) and can enroll approximately 660 students in M1. The regional languages track is available in Perpignan for Catalan and in Carcassonne and Mende for Occitan.  Apart from the specific regional language courses, this program is shared with the basic in-person program. A third hybrid program is available for students who are unable to attend in-person classes (due to disability or illness, employees undergoing retraining, family responsibilities, etc.). It is managed by the Carcassonne site and includes a face-to-face component (four weeks of group sessions, internships, exams, and mock exams) and various forms of distance learning. It can enroll up to 45 students.

The course content is the same across the five sites and three programs. It is defined by very specific course descriptions. Meetings bringing together instructors from the five sites are held regularly. Each course unit is led by an academic supervisor accompanied by a representative from each site. A significant portion of the assessments are organized simultaneously across the five sites with common topics. The master's jury ensures that harmonization meetings are organized to ensure that grades are equalized.

In order to ensure that students entering the M2 program (where they are likely to be given responsibility for classes as part of their work-study program and M2 internship) have a sufficient grasp of the fundamentals, compensation thresholds are proposed. All course units can only be compensated for from 6 upwards. In S2, course units in mathematics, French, and those related to the reference framework can only be compensated for from 8 upwards. In S4, the thesis and internship cannot be compensated for.

The core courses in French and mathematics are spread across the four semesters of the Master's program, with 30 to 40 hours per semester per subject. They are taught by multidisciplinary teams that include professionals.

In terms of fundamentals, French lessons are organized around four areas:

1. The development of oral and written language skills and reading skills, particularly with regard to literary texts, with a view to professional practice and the CRPE exams.
2. The acquisition of disciplinary and epistemological knowledge in the field of linguistics (pragmatics, textual, syntactic, grammatical, orthographic, lexical, etc.) and relating to languages, children's literature, and literacies (including digital).
3. The acquisition of teaching knowledge and the development of related professional skills in the areas of oral and written communication, language, comprehension, reading, interpretation, and appreciation of literary works. Particular attention is paid to teaching reading in first grade and introducing writing in Cycle 1.
4. The development of professional skills related to versatility (French in various disciplines).

The objectives of basic mathematics education focus on mastering mathematical content and teaching methods, with a view to preparing students for the CRPE (Certificate of Professional Competence in Education) in both written and oral forms, and to designing, implementing, and analyzing teaching situations in connection with student teaching placements.

The topics covered are based on the school's Cycle 1, 2, and 3 programs. For example, 30% of the total number of hours is devoted to mastering mathematical and didactic content for teaching arithmetic and numeracy, with the remainder devoted to other school topics and, more broadly, to Cycle 4 topics related to exam preparation.

Finally, the various topics covered in mathematics are linked to each other (for example, calculation with the teaching of quantities and measurement, geometry) and to other subject areas (arts, physical education, history and geography, science) through training hours specifically devoted to this, in order to develop the versatility of future school teachers.

Still within the framework of fundamentals, values and the frame of reference are explored throughout a series of four teaching units, one per semester, for a total of approximately 140 hours. These course units enable students to progress gradually from learning about the educational institution and the values that govern it in M1 to reflecting on how these values are implemented in the classroom and integrating them into their professional conduct and practices in M2.

This set of courses, which is quite similar in structure and content to that offered in the MEEF^2nd degree master's program, provides an opportunity to work on essential topics such as secularism, inclusive education (see decree of November 25, 2020), citizenship education, school climate, and the fight against all forms of discrimination and violence.

While each EU focuses on one or more of these major themes, the aim is to revisit these fundamental elements over the course of four semesters, in order to move beyond simply imparting information to achieving genuine understanding. The aim is to ensure that schools can fulfill their "mission of citizenship education" and prepare "students to live in society and become responsible and free citizens, aware of the principles and rules that underpin democracy" (law of July 8, 2013). The training aims to develop professional skills as defined in the 2013 reference framework while preparing students for the CRPE interview.

Training in the fundamentals of French, mathematics, values, and the reference framework is supplemented by a four-unit course.

Each semester, a specific teaching unit contributes to providing solid training in other elementary school subjects in order to offer the most versatile and comprehensive training possible.