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French school leavers tense up for the ‘bac’

French pupils this year ending of their secondary education are currently sitting the baccalauréat, the all-important exam that opens the way to further education or the job market, a certificate that is surrounded by the heavy stress of fear of failure, for without it the doors of future social and professional advance appear closed.

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For many French people, passing the national end-of-high-school exam, known as the Baccalauréat, or “Bac”, is an important rite of passage, reports FRANCE 24.

The French love to brag about the Bac and how tough it is because that implies that French schoolchildren are smart. But with so many people passing the diploma, has it lost its value? The government recently completely reformed the Bac to make it a "springboard to success". Time will tell whether it retains its egalitarian - albeit stressful - appeal. 

See this video presentation of the fearsome bac from FRANCE 24.

La rédaction de Mediapart

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