PRESS RELEASE
14 December 2021
MAJOR STRUCTURAL ISSUES
PUBLICATION OF A THIRD SERIES OF PAPERS:
SCHOOL EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL INTEGRATION OF YOUNG
PEOPLE, INDUSTRIAL POLICY, HEALTH AND HEALTH
INSURANCE, CULTURE
The Court of Accounts concludes its series of papers published this autumn with the last of its reports on the
major structural issues facing the country. These reports both draw upon and summarise recent work and
new publications, providing a diagnosis of the major challenges over the coming years and presenting
potential levers to address them. Five major public policies are discussed in these reports: school education,
vocational integration of young people, industrial policy, health and health insurance, and culture. These
papers contribute to evidence-based public debate at a crucial moment of civic reflection, while attempting
to reconcile the effectiveness of public policies and support for sustainable growth.
More effective schools for students
Although national education spending (nearly €110 billion) is above the OECD average, outcomes in the French
school system are on the decline, in particular for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Educational
reforms, increased resources and student evaluations have not sufficiently improved the quality of our
education system.
Facilitating the student’s learning path, increasing school autonomy, improving the legal
environment around the teaching profession and strengthening evaluation could allow schools to better serve
students.
Read the paper
Integrating young people into the labour market
Despite numerous measures and successive reforms, nearly 10% of the 750,000 young people leaving the
education system each year find themselves without a degree, while the unemployment rate for 15- to 24-
year-olds is around 20%. The recent emphasis on more intensive support for young job seekers and
apprenticeships has not led to a decisive improvement in their situation. To remedy this, the Court
recommends paying special attention to four levers: more resolute action aimed at the most marginalised
young people, better guidance toward support measures that best fit their needs, improving the quality of
integration paths, and better coordinating the multiple actors involved in shepherding them toward
employment.
Read the paper
Adapting industrial policy to new challenges
France has undergone a more marked industrial decline than its main partners. In 2004, it was the sixth largest
industrial power in the world; in 2019, it was the eighth. Although differences in cost competitiveness have
partially diminished over the past decade, the French economy suffers from structural handicaps which still
hamper certain aspects of its competitiveness, including non-cost factors. Research and development
insufficiently translates into industrial innovations. Five levers have been identified to help adapt industrial
policy to new challenges, including the need to better target sectoral measures and the need to strengthen
governance of this policy.
Read the paper
Health: finding efficiencies to guarantee access to quality care and reduce the health insurance
deficit
Read the paper
Redefining the role of the Ministry of Culture
The policy pursued by the Ministry of Culture since its creation has resulted in a notable expansion of cultural
activity in our country. This has produced a wide range of institutions and actors that contribute to this activity,
including local authorities, which now provide three times more funding than the ministry. The central role of
the government as an initiator has lost its importance. To allow it to regain its policy-making momentum, with
a renewed focus on its leadership role, an in-depth reorganisation of the central administration of the ministry,
together with a stronger human resources policy, seem advisable.
Read the paper
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