If France struggles in international rankings, certain high schools in Gard, Arles and Lunel are doing well.
Academic success: a crucial issue for France. And yet, the observation is far from reassuring. Today, our country is in the low average of developed countries, according to international rankings such as PISA. France oscillates between 20th and 30th place in the world, far behind Asian references – Singapore, Japan, South Korea – but also certain European neighbors, such as Estonia. Why such a dropout? The reasons are multiple. First, a well-known evil: inequalities. If the overall level remains honorable, our educational system continues to widen the gaps between students according to their social origin. And these differences are more marked than elsewhere. Another black point: mathematics. A persistent weakness, to the point of worrying industrialists. The boss of Thales recently reminded us: without solid math skills, the very future of the country is at stake. And the consequences are already visible: lack of researchers, engineers, technicians… the shortage is looming. So what’s the problem? Perhaps in a system that has remained attached to a theoretical approach for too long, not enough in practice. Meanwhile, other countries have modernized their education. Singapore, Japan, South Korea… and closer to us, Estonia. In our European neighbor, teaching relies on modern, concrete, adapted methods. Result: less inequalities, more efficiency. This major project should impose itself at the heart of the political debate as the next presidential election approaches. Because good ideas already seem to be in place. In France, everything is not gloomy of course. Certain successes deserve to be saluted. Every year, from data from the Ministry of National Education, The Parisian publishes its ranking of high schools. In Gard, the leading trio is made up of the Bellevue private high school in Alès, the Alphonse-Daudet high school in Nîmes and the André-Chamson high school in Vigan. In Arles, the Montmajour high school stands out. In Hérault, the Louis-Feuillade high school in Lunel also stands out. Valuable landmarks for families. Because behind these rankings, several criteria are scrutinized: baccalaureate success rate, honors, ability to help students progress, diversity of paths… so many indicators to make a better choice.
