kindergardens are effectively a good route to get into good public schools if they could not secure a good public school kindergarden. But then to pass to the public school, they will have to pass exams. Why aren't they planning a private school from kindergarden till A-level? because they kids will be seen as too stupid to make it in the public school system. It is just cultural differences - behind it the idea ( false or true) of meritocracy.
They do ! Jeez ! Care to count how many of the high scools in the link below with 100% success at A levels are private ? Most of the top schools on this list are private . Selection at good private high school is even tougher than at kindergaten's level .I enjoy talking about schools but not sure you have much of a clue about the topic http://classement-lycees.etudiant.lefigaro.fr/academie-paris
sorry to let you know, I went to "Henri-IV, Paris5eme". Fully 100% public school educated. So my view as of my peers is different. And as A-level rates are high in many schools, we look to "classes prepas" to determine the real quality of a school, as well as its alumni. <iframe width="854" height="510" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/c8UfU70TPhA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> where they talk about "unpriviledged kids" into good public schools. We do not talk about givernment financing private schools for kids. There is a reason : private school have a veiled negative stigma .
Henri IV and Louis Le Grand are the two most prestigious public schools, hardly representative of the general state of public education. Than I suspect (and you could inform e on that one) that the good public schools attract mostly kids from families from the public sector. It's really not a place i'd dream of getting my kids to. Many parents strive more to get their kids to top private schools than to louis le grand or henri IV Do they even have prepa HEC there ? "private school have a veiled negative stigma" Well, and henri IV is Rive gauche... Real deep deep fracture in France between the public and the private sector. But congrats in you graduated in Henri IV anyway, it probably makes you utterly biaised and a danger for the future of France , but it's supposed to be a good school. You didn't attend sciences Po later on did u ?
Nope. I did prepa, was received first in one grande ecole ( scores at exams were so high that they drop the orals and I was admitted straight). BUT CHOSE University ( Orsay), against everybody's opinions, when I visited my friends there. And I am very glad I did as it opened my eyes on many things. But don't worry, I am toying with giving a shot at ENA so as to sort out the assholes who have been bothering me - including trying to trap me into their "prostitution" business.
The rest is pure speculations. Henri IV ans Louis Le Grand are extremely meritocratic public schools. Unbeknown to you, each year 25% of the students are replaced ( aka booted out) by more deserving students recruited ALL over the country. There is more to it than most know about : it is about finding the best of the country , not the one with parents who have the most money. Obviously, many kids enter in via many private tutoring, but many can't manage once there, as money factor is reduced. "Prestigious" because many private school parents are trying hard to get their kids in without success: these are meritocratic institutions. Sorry to break the news.
My first reply to you in this thread : "And yes I know about elite public schools there, but there are a very tiny part of the total public school system." What news did you break ?? Selection is very tough as well in top private schools and many students are booted each year (which you must know does degrade a schools reputation as it means the teaching per se is not that good as they need to kick out students and enrol new ones to maintain top results. The schools on top of the list have 100% admission at the baccalaureat but with less students kicked out along the way.
Give a parent the news that their kid has been accepted to H-IV or LLG vs any other private school. Their reactions will be completely different because they will know their kid got accepted on merit. Just for the record, myself I got in the "path" from primary school, but never got booted out, so stayed happily into the public school system. And I saw all the tragedies of friends who got the boot - the desperate parents begging for their kid to be given a second chance. Unfortunately for them, any attempts at paying staff were dealt severely. I am glad they recruited the best ALL over the country each year. Actually, teachers are encouraged to let any kid in the whole country that they are good enough to give it a try if the kid is excellent. No money there. And I am also glad that kids whose parents are modest receive very specific additional educational input. These are bright kids, but their "IQ" got degraded by lack of ... Glad these institutions understand that and have put good things in place for these bright kids. As we say, there is "no comparisons": the other are "substitutes".
Well, what you most succeed in convincing me is to keep my kids away from public sector influence (teachers and students alike);.. It is (worryingly) hard to fathom for you but in some circles it is seen as very nefarious - and kids are to be educated from kindergarden to A levels in private schools. Now roughly what percentage of the kids in Henri IV have parents working in the private sector ? It's basically 100% in some right bank private schools.
I think we can judge a school system by the leaders, CEOs, top scientists they produce thus let's look at how many CEOs from fortune 500 companies come from French education system and I don't just mean elementary and high schools but also the colleges and universities...