Non-recognition of Students and Political Dissonance in Belgian Secondary Education

• In Event: Sociology of Education Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 25. Role of Political Forces in Education

Abstract

This proposal examines the impact of the non-recognition granted to secondary school students in the French Community of Belgium during their adolescent socialization on their vision of the school institution. The research relies on a qualitative approach (semi-structured interviews conducted within the Francophone Student Committee (CEF), supplemented by the analysis of existing surveys) to identify the concrete manifestations of this non-recognition: lack of consideration for academic difficulties, reduction of the student to their sole academic status, inadequate or missing infrastructure, unsuitable schedules, etc.
These institutional dynamics generate stress, fatigue, and disinterest in learning, leading to a negative vision of school (Dubet, 1991). Students, apprehended as rational actors (Cuin, 2011), instrumentalize the institution for social purposes and engage in a silent struggle to obtain recognition as active and central actors in the educational system. The CEF plays a central role in representing students and promoting democratic innovation in response to this dissonance.
Drawing on recognition theory (Honneth, 1996, 2004) and secondary socialization (Lahire, 2013), the analysis reveals a tension between the official institutional discourse, illustrated by the Pact for an Excellent Education, and students' daily experiences. This political discrepancy reflects how contemporary educational policies, despite their declared ambitions of excellence, perpetuate recognition inequalities that politicize the school experience (Draelants, 2008).
The contribution proposes pedagogical, political, and institutional transitions to foster effective student participation, thereby contributing to the analysis of the current political context of education and its consequences on ordinary actors.

Author

• Tanya Lejeune, Université de Mons