More on Paris schools

[It was a beautiful day today. Everyone was wearing sunglasses. I took these photos on my way home this evening about 6:30 p.m.]

My upstairs neighbor, whose husband is foreign, met me as I was going out. We exchanged various tales of woe. She told me that she was sending her younger son out of the country to boarding school after a vain attempt to find a school here in Paris where he felt happy.

He is a free-spirited boy raised in a big house in the country, getting out of school with plenty of time for sports, and used to at least occasional praise from his teachers.

"We found a wonderful school run by Jesuits," my neighbor said, "and the director told me that they had had to put a stop to their exchanges with the French school Philippe was in. He said, 'At the French school, they care only for the prestige of the school, and nothing for the welfare of their pupils.'" And it's true; every year in June they throw out dozens of students, not for failing, but when they don't make the expected very high grade on their exams. This is called "rigueur" and they are proud of it. It gives the school a 99% pass rate on the Bac S!

A description of most of the top schools in Paris, unfortunately. The school system here concentrates on what you do wrong, and produces kids whose parents introduce them, "This is Nicolas, who needs to study harder." At which, instead of glaring or spitting, Nicolas bows his head, abashed. Where 95% of the population leaves school feeling dumb, and the other 5% becomes insufferably arrogant (and run the country).

(The U.S., on the other hand, specializes in self-esteem, "My child is an honor-roll student" bumper stickers, and straight-As for kids who would be hard-pressed to find France on a map.)

Comments

[nancy]

Just for the record, not everyone in the US believes in the unrealistic praise method practiced by so many. My son attends a school in the very troubled DISD in Dallas, Texas...he can find quite a few places on the world globe though :) Maybe he is learning more than I thought.
I do enjoy expanding my horizons. Your observations about France and human nature always make me think.