Innovation in formal education

At the moment, there is no specific subject linked to innovation skills neither in primary or secondary education. 



The decree on the missions of school makes global and limited reference to it through the identification of 4 global objectives which are: 

1. To promote self-confidence and the self-development of every pupils ; 
2. To bring every pupils to get the knowledge and to gain the competences to be able to learn their entire life and to take an active place in the social, economic and cultural life ; 
3. To prepare every pupils to become responsible citizens able to contribute to the development of a democratic, pluralist, solidarity society opened to others cultures ;
4. Ensure to every pupils equal opportunities for social emancipation. 

Schools may be authorised to organise their programme with large autonomy in order to reach these global objectives. 

The education website provides teachers with pedagogical tools. But the topics are not linked with innovation learning field. These remain linked with the classic curriculum (languages, mathematics, sciences and technology, physical education, etc.). 



The Teaching Excellence Pact, the education's reform, plans to implement a core curriculum for every pupils from pre-primary school to the 3rd grade of secondary school. 



This core curriculum sets out 7 learning fields whose 2 are cross-disciplinary: 



-    Creativity, commitment and “spirit of enterprise” (esprit d’entreprendre) 

According to the Pact, this learning field assume the capacity to link actions to ideas. “Spirit of enterprise” assumes the capacity to innovate, to create, to initiate, to commit and to organise and manage projects in order to realise objectives. it requires abilities such as analyse, communication, planning, etc. 



-    Learning to learn and to make choices

The Pact specifies that this learning field includes the following skills: learning from experience and identify its affinities and life projects. This cross-disciplinary subject aims at supporting pupils in identifying progressively their life / training project in an autonomous way. The ambition is to have pupils well informed about their potential and their affinities in order to be oriented in the right direction.  



These 2 subjects will be taught through 5 specific subjects in a cross-disciplinary way.  

Fostering innovation through non-formal and informal learning and youth work

The French-speaking Community, through the Youth Department, funds youth organisations and youth centres. Their mission is to foster the capacity of innovation of young people by developing soft transversal skills (curiosity, intuition, critical and lateral thinking, problem solving, etc.). See section 1.4 Youth Policy Decision-Making.

Cultural sector also supports young people’s capacity of innovation. The French-speaking Community funds programmes to bring together young people with cultural activities in order to develop, among others things, their skills for innovation.

For instance, CRIA is an arts education programme that brings together the worlds of school and culture, in a cultural centre that offers new discoveries and potential.

A CRIA is a participatory and civic-minded project: pupils, teachers, artists and activity leaders build and share a creative adventure before, during and after the week spent at La Marlagne. More concretely, this project is based on three components: knowledge, artistic practices and artistic encounters (with artists and works).