The Reform of Initial Teacher Training in France

The teacher training reform implemented in France from 1990 onwards was a major event which had and still has repercussions throughout the French education system. A critical analysis of the events is presented. In particular, it shows the difficulty of introducing change in the context of the French education system and exemplifies how political decisions made along clearly defined lines can be partly diluted in the implementation stage by the various stakeholders of the system. At the same time, it makes apparent that the creation of the new teacher training institutes, which was an integral part of the reform, has brought about the conditions for change in the medium or long term. Aspects of this discussion will also serve to illustrate questions about teacher training which are of interest in other countries.