Self-Evaluations of Pupils in the Primary Cycle according to Class Level and the Type of Educational Zone

This study proposes to show in what belonging or not to schools in affirmative action zones (ZEP) or the class, may have an effect on the pupil’s self-evaluation. 421 pupils of CE1 and CM1 of the Orleans-Tours academic region, have been questioned on their respective levels of self-evaluation for nine traits: intelligence, school work, facility to make mates, to be appreciated by adults, manual or creative activities, sport, pleasure to read, to express oneself easily, and handsomeness. The results show that the youngest pupils and those belonging to ZEP schools have the most positive self-evaluations. A factorial analysis allows to reveal two factors expressing, one the school self-esteem, the other the relational esteem. The school esteem is, in the aggregate, the least high, except for the pupils of the CE1-ZEP schools. These results confirm the importance of the school milieu on the pupils’ self-perception and its effects possibly negative.