海角大神

It鈥檚 smiles and sighs of relief all around as Laetitia Lerner and Nicolas Genaille chat with friends and try to unwind after another grueling day of the听baccalaur茅at听鈥� the French national high school exit exams. Even for Ms. Lerner and Mr. Genaille, who are only in their second to last year of high school, the testing has already begun. The results they get this year will contribute to their scores on听the final exam after completing 鈥渢erminale鈥� 鈥� senior year.

鈥淚鈥檓 very happy with how I did,鈥� says Genaille, an hour after completing the science exam. The French written exam took place last week, with the French oral test scheduled for听the first week of July.

鈥淣ow we鈥檙e going to have something to eat and relax,鈥� says Lerner, a shy smile crossing her cheeks.

A year ago, Lerner and Genaille couldn鈥檛 have imagined themselves here, in high school, taking 鈥渓e bac,鈥� as the French familiarly call it. Genaille, 20, had lost all confidence in himself after dropping out of high school at 17, disenchanted with the traditional school system.

Lerner, 23, dropped out at 16 amid major family problems, which triggered a five-year period of depression. Both say the Microlyc茅e de S茅nart, an experimental high school one hour outside Paris in Lieusaint, saved them.听

鈥淚 lost a lot of motivation during the time I wasn鈥檛 in school; I was alone so much and not interacting with people,鈥� says Lerner. 鈥淏ut at this school, no one judges you because we鈥檝e all been through tough times.鈥澨�

Lerner and Genaille are part of a growing number of French youths turning their backs on France鈥檚 mainstream education system. A highly centralized order with a national focus on the baccalaur茅at听that borders on obsession, French high schools have been criticized by many as being too rigid, hierarchical, and failing to appreciate each student as 鈥渁 whole person.鈥�

But while experimental schools 鈥� especially junior highs and high schools 鈥� remain on the fringes here and must constantly prove their worth, they are increasingly providing options to students who have failed to thrive in the mainstream system. They鈥檙e also challenging long-held notions about the importance of the national high school exit exam and what it means to succeed.听

鈥淔rance is not a country with a wealth of innovative, experimental schools; they remain rare,鈥� says Fran莽ois Dubet, director of studies in sociology at the School for Higher Education in Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris. 鈥淏ut more often than not, these schools get good results because the students are motivated and the teachers are especially committed and present in students鈥� lives.鈥澨�

A non-traditional approach

There are currently just over a dozen experimental junior highs and high schools in France that are members of FESPI, a national federation that promotes innovative school choices. Unlike similar private, tuition-based establishments, which often serve a homogenous, wealthy demographic, these schools are public and free, falling under the tutelage of the French Ministry of Education. They must report student grades twice a year as well as the final baccalaur茅at听results.

While some 鈥� like the Microlyc茅e de S茅nart 鈥� are geared toward bringing back students who have dropped out of school, others simply provide a fresh and more diverse approach to teaching. At the Lyc茅e Autog茅r茅 de Paris (LAP), for example, students are not graded, can choose their own course schedule, and work with teachers on course schedules and school organization.

At the Coll猫ge Lyc茅e Exp茅rimental d鈥橦茅rouville Saint Clair (CLE) in the north of France,听teachers are required to teach multiple subjects, which can bring a more complete picture of each student. And at the Microlyc茅e, class sizes are limited to 15, students contribute to classroom cleaning, eat and do the dishes together, and have a say in how classes are run.

However, the starkest difference at these experimental high schools is, most notably, their approach to 鈥渓e bac.鈥� For most, it remains an option, not a requirement. And yet, says Olivier Haeri, an economics and sociology teacher at the Microlyc茅e, passing the national exit exam is a goal for most students upon entering experimental schools.

鈥淚f we talk less about the听bac, it gives it less pressure, less importance,鈥� says Mr. Haeri. 鈥淏ut symbolically to have it is to feel 鈥榥ormal鈥� for many, or a way to repair something in their past. It shows students they can succeed educationally.鈥�

One, all-important test

Unlike in the United States, where students receive a high school diploma upon completing courses with the option of taking entrance exams to get into college, France has no equivalent as such. The 鈥渂ac鈥� acts as both diploma and entrance exam, meaning that without it, getting into college is impossible and finding a job 鈥� even a low-level one 鈥� is a major challenge.

鈥淭he听bac听is very important in France, but in a negative sense,鈥� says Mr. Dubet, the sociologist. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 give you that much if you have it, but if you don鈥檛 have it, you lose a lot.鈥�

Those without the prized exam suffer from high rates of unemployment. According to the听National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), 48 percent of those without a diploma were unemployed in 2017.听But perhaps more detrimental is the social stigma that comes with not passing it. During the week-long test, national radio broadcasts are dedicated to the subject and newspapers publish the topics of each day鈥檚 exam along with students鈥� results.

Around 88 percent of French high school students have consistently passed the听bac听since 2014. Experimental high schools include a range of statistics, with some outperforming the national averages and others hovering at around a 40 percent success rate.听The inconsistent statistics could raise doubts about the schools鈥� effectiveness.听But those involved in the system say results of the bac don鈥檛 show the whole picture.听

鈥淭hese are students who would never have even taken the test if they had remained in the mainstream school system,鈥� says Catherine Noyer, president of FESPI, and a biology teacher at CLE in听H茅rouville Saint Clair.听One year, when a student had decided not to take the test just hours before the exam was to begin, Ms. Noyer went to her home, convinced her to take it, and drove her to the听baccalaur茅at听testing center.

鈥淲ith this in mind, we can say that we have a 100 percent success rate,鈥澨齭he says.

Despite its relative importance in France, the most essential aspect of experimental schools is not getting every student to 鈥減ass the听bac鈥� but to help them regain their confidence in school.

鈥淭his is a system that looks at each student as a young person with his or her own story and abilities,鈥� says Ms. Noyer. 鈥淭hey are citizens, individuals, and need to be considered in their entirety.鈥�

A focus on interaction

At the Microlyc茅e, teachers place a large focus on bringing students out of their shell, teaching them how to interact with others again in addition to reassuring them of their intellectual abilities. They ask students when they want to be graded, but don't often do so at the start of the year.

Haeri says many have lost so much confidence in themselves 鈥� often due to negative experiences in the mainstream system 鈥� that they don鈥檛 believe teachers when they鈥檙e given positive feedback on assignments.

Lerner, who moved around the country often with her family growing up and attended multiple schools, says they all had a common thread for her.

鈥淭he traditional high school system is oppressive and individualistic,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 succeed, you鈥檙e basically cast out of society.鈥�

Lerner says in her two years at the Microlyc茅e, she has come to realize her unique abilities and the benefits of a positive, encouraging environment.听If she passes her听bac听next year, she hopes to go on to get a master鈥檚 degree in sociology.

And Genaille, who arrived quiet and withdrawn at the beginning of the year, has now blossomed into a confident, articulate young person who is ready to show off his talents, says Haeri, his teacher.听

鈥淚 intend to pass the听bac听and then I鈥檒l go from there 鈥� maybe working with people with difficulties or disabilities,鈥� Genaille says. 鈥淚 had the idea before coming to this school but it鈥檚 true that being in this environment has confirmed it for me.鈥�