France

Has the 'bac' met its Waterloo?

More than 615,000 French pupils will find out on Friday whether they have passed the dreaded baccalaureat, the exam that ends 12 years of schooling across the Channel.

Created by Napoleon in 1808, the baccalaureat was the first national higher education certificate issued by the state. For 100 years, it was only available to a narrow elite - just 31 students passed it in the first year - but gradually it has expanded to the masses.

In Britain, many see the bac as a possible model to emulate, feeling the specialisation of A-levels limits pupils' opportunities. By studying more topics the students widen their career chances and become more rounded individuals, they say.

But in France, many argue that the bac is archaic and are pushing for it to be abolished - or at least to be drastically reformed.

FULL STORY

Sourced from:

The Guardian

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Last Modified: 07 Jul 2008