First, the unique "dual-track" higher education system in the world
Many students in China don't know that there is a unique "dual-track" higher education system in the world after French basic education. There are 90 public universities in France, in addition to more than 240 engineering colleges, more than 230 higher business schools and a large number of higher education institutions such as higher art colleges and architectural design colleges. It should be pointed out that there are obvious differences between the above-mentioned public universities and other higher education institutions. Literally, people in China prefer to call these higher education institutions "Grande école".
Nearly 600,000 high school graduates take the national examination every year in France, and only 85% of them can meet the standard. With this qualification, 90% of qualified students will directly enter public universities, while about 65,438+00% of top students will choose to enter "preparatory schools" and specialize in "exam-oriented education" for two years. In the end, after strict elimination and selection, they can enter the "big schools" in France to train elite talents. Counting, less than 8% French students are lucky enough to climb the top of the ivory tower every year.
Although it is called a "big school", it is not worthy of the name, because the size of such schools is usually only a few hundred students, and only one or two classes are enrolled in each grade, which will not exceed 100 students. The size of ordinary universities is tens of thousands of people. The funding provided by the state for running a school is more than 10 times that of ordinary colleges and universities. Objectively speaking, if international students, including China students, want to attend such schools, their actual expenses are equivalent to those of famous universities in the United States, Britain, Australia and Germany.
It can be seen that French public universities are actually open institutions of higher education and a symbol of democratization and equality of French higher education. In contrast, the "big school" is relatively closed, and it is a school dedicated to cultivating young elites. There are great differences between the two types of higher education institutions in terms of investment, learning conditions, education management mode, years of study, degree and diploma, employment prospects and so on.
Second, the distinction between elites and civilians is solidified by the state system.
The "preparatory school" mentioned above is a unique "post-secondary education stage" in France, and France is often used to classifying this preparatory education as a higher education stage. In contrast, if French students go to public universities, they usually have a three-year undergraduate course and a two-year master's degree, and they can get a master's degree in five years. And if he is admitted to the "big school", he will have two years of preparatory courses, three years of "big school" career and five years of master's degree.
In France, teachers and other professions have all become masters, and a master's degree has become the basic condition for a decent life. But a master's degree in a public university is very different from a master's degree in a "big school". When the French media mentioned "big schools", they bluntly called them "elite schools".
There is a saying that if the students of every elite university are not leaders of French politics, finance and business, then at least these leaders of politics, finance and business are graduates of elite universities. It can be seen that the labels of elite French college students are more uniform and even more harsh than those of "985" and "2 1 1" in China. Moreover, from the beginning of this century, the French government began to organize the national unified entrance examination for "preparatory schools" after the high school stage. It can be said that France is quite institutionalized in terms of civilian and elite education.
Third, pocket and closed, the circle of friends of French upper class.
Among the hundreds of elite universities in France, the top ones are only a few hundred, with the goal of cultivating leaders. The second category can reach one or two thousand people, and the goal is to cultivate the highest-level talents second only to the leader level. It can be seen that the upper circle of friends in France is pocket-sized and closed to a considerable extent. It is hard to imagine that there can be a large number of grassroots "elites" like China Ma Yun who can turn over without entering a prestigious school in the solidified and narrow French class rising channel.
Take French President Macron as an example. His elite education along the way is very typical. Macron graduated from Henri IV Middle School in Paris, the top high school in France, and then received leadership education at Paris Political University and French National School of Administration.
There are two world-famous public high schools in Paris, namely Louis the Great High School and Henry IV High School, Macron's alma mater. For hundreds of years, 40% of France's elite talents, including presidents, ministers and industry leaders, came from Louis the Great High School, 40% from Henry IV Middle School, and the remaining 20% came from other schools. The resource agglomeration effect of French high schools can be seen.
Paris University of Political Science, in the "QS" world university ranking of 20 18, surpassed Oxford University in political and international studies, ranking fourth in the world. Its graduates are active in French administration, business, media and international development. Since the founding of the Fifth Republic of France, six French presidents, including Macron, have graduated from this school. The French National School of Administration is similar to the Central Party School in China. The students are all outstanding young officials with several years of political experience, and they are cultivating down-to-earth government elites.
It can be said that when the French go to school, they fight not only for the school, but also for their classmates. This small group of outstanding people in elite universities are classmates, friends and lifelong right-hand men in their careers.