Theater: Kevin, or the example of an academic failure

At the entrance to the room, the viewer receives a plastic board depicting a black arrow. As soon as he sits down, he is then invited to answer questions which are displayed live on a video board. What is the phrase you heard the most as a student? We orient our sign according to our response. After Conviviality or The Spelling Fault (2019), Arnaud Hoedt and Jérôme Piron, respectively former teachers of French and geography, attack the school system. According to them, the choice of school determines the path of human beings and gives rise to social inequalities.

Arnaud Hoedt and Jérôme Piron continually demonstrate this for an hour and fifteen minutes, using reasoning, illustrations and various statistics. They were inspired by their fifteen years of teaching and their collaboration with a university unit at UCLouvain, the GIRSEF (Interdisciplinary Research Group on Socialization, Education and Training). Kevin, the title of their “lesson” is the fictitious first name of a boy who did not succeed at school. This could also have been the case for another child or a little girl. Why would someone be less likely to have a better job than someone else?

The constant is terrifying: the mission of teachers would not have changed in 400 years! National Education is taking its place. “When scientists were asked, “What is school for?” They all told us something different. But when they were asked, “What is school for?” They all agreed: “Equal opportunities in France haven’t worked at all.” The two teachers conclude: “Belgium and France are the OECD countries (Editor’s note, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) in which social origin most determines academic success.”

As in their previous show, the two Belgians involve the public. But not everyone takes part in the game. Some expected to follow a play. There is a vague intention of staging - four people sign it! -, but the form and atmosphere are closer to those of a classroom than to those of a theater.

Arnaud Hoedt and Jérôme Piron do recess well, but follow their guideline with a touch of condescension. And repeat themselves. At the risk of becoming lesson givers. We will refrain from giving them a bad mark out of twenty.

Until May 11, Théâtre du Rond-Point Paris 8th. Loc. : 01 44 95 98 21.