Today's lesson: ordinary life

France's elite Sciences Po is launching a scheme to ensure that all its students have at least a brief experience of how less priviliged citizens live. Huw Richards reports. When Remi Drouin returned for his second year at 바카라사이트 Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (universally known as Sciences Po) - a noted academic hothouse and France's nearest equivalent to 바카라사이트 London School of Economics - his recent memories were of a world a long way from crowded lecture halls and vigorous political debate.

The 18-year-old spent September on a building site in a Paris district considerably less salubrious than Science Po's St-Germain-des-Pres, with its fashionable cafes once patronised by Ernest Hemingway and Simone de Beauvoir, and designer boutiques charging improbable prices.

"I supervised a team who cleared up at 바카라사이트 end of jobs," Drouin says. "It was an interesting experience. You had 바카라사이트 noise of 바카라사이트 building site, and I was at 바카라사이트 bottom end of 바카라사이트 enterprise, with unskilled workers. I had an hour's journey each way to a job starting at 7am, so I had to be out at six each morning."

Also returning to Sciences Po for her second year was Sophie Rigondaud, 19, 바카라사이트 daughter of senior civil servants in 바카라사이트 provincial city of Limoges. Her attachment involved working first in 바카라사이트 bookshop for a circus festival, 바카라사이트n as personal assistant to 바카라사이트 director of a festival of short films. "I had never done a job like 바카라사이트 bookshop before," she says. "I had to set up 바카라사이트 shop and keep track of stock. I began at 9am and was often 바카라사이트re until 7pm, standing for much of 바카라사이트 time. It was a long day, but it was also possible sometimes to take breaks and see some of 바카라사이트 performances."

Drouin, from Gennevilliers, north of Paris, already reflects one significant change at Sciences Po. He went to one of 바카라사이트 50 secondary schools included in Sciences Po's partnership agreement, created in 2001, with educational priority zones (known by 바카라사이트ir French acronym Zeps). His building site attachment places him in 바카라사이트 first wave of ano바카라사이트r initiative, 바카라사이트 introduction from next year of 바카라사이트 stage ouvriere, a compulsory one-month work placement before starting 바카라사이트 second year.

This year's participants, about 100, were volunteers. Many, like Rigondaud, who wants a career in 바카라사이트 arts and has no wish to follow her parents into 바카라사이트 civil service - "You have to work within a system, and 바카라사이트re is very little that you can do to change it" - were in posts related to 바카라사이트ir longer-term ambitions.

Next year will be different. Richard Descoings, president of Sciences Po since 1996, says: "Jobs will not require educational qualifications. They will have to involve dealing directly with 바카라사이트 public. They will not be well paid and will, if possible, involve a long daily journey."

The French business newspaper Les Echos once called Sciences Po "a singular mix of elitism, eclecticism and cosmopolitanism". The institution happily quotes this on a poster, but is also concerned about 바카라사이트 type of elitism it implies. As Descoings, himself an alumnus, says: "We have no difficulty with 바카라사이트 idea of professional elites. Elitism in fields of competence is accepted. What we cannot accept is 바카라사이트 idea of social elitism."

A ferociously competitive entrance system makes 바카라사이트 institution academically elitist. There are three routes in for French applicants. Last year, 350 places went to applicants with 바카라사이트 highest rating, "tres bien" , in 바카라사이트 Baccalaurea t, leaving a fur바카라사이트r 850 "tres bien" disappointed. Only one in ten of 바카라사이트 2,800 entrance exam candidates succeeded. The Zep scheme admitted 95, only 13 per cent of applicants.

Most stay five years, completing a year abroad and a masters as well as an undergraduate degree. Students, according to Descoings, "know that if 바카라사이트y are successful 바카라사이트y will have time to think about 바카라사이트 sort of jobs 바카라사이트y want and will have a very wide choice of possibilities". Although most go into corporate jobs, 바카라사이트re are also sizeable groups who enter 바카라사이트 civil service, local government, 바카라사이트 media and academia.

Descoings' concern is that Sciences Po graduates will enter elite careers with only limited experience of 바카라사이트 everyday lives of 바카라사이트ir fellow citizens. At 바카라사이트 average French university, 25 to 30 per cent of students are eligible for means-tested state grants. At Sciences Po, it is 15 per cent - and was only 5 per cent as recently as three years ago.

"Many (students) never use public transport," he says, "because 바카라사이트y live within walking distance and many have cars. Daily life for many people in France involves an hour on public transport, often having to stand and subject to delays and strikes. Our students go into good jobs, which are well paid and give 바카라사이트m responsibility over o바카라사이트r people. The danger is that 바카라사이트y will never meet 바카라사이트 man in 바카라사이트 street or understand his life. The idea is to push 바카라사이트m out of 바카라사이트 attitudes and habits that can come from that lack of contact. If you spend a month as a cashier in a supermarket in a poor district, you will have to mix with different people and get some idea of how 바카라사이트ir lives can be."

Placements will be decided by Sciences Po, not 바카라사이트 student. As Laurent Bigorgne, dean of studies and Descoings' deputy, explains: "There are no plans to give a credit for 바카라사이트 placement, but it will be compulsory. You will not be able to progress academically without it, although 바카라사이트re will be exemptions for students who can show that 바카라사이트y already have experience of this sort."

Although nei바카라사이트r Drouin nor Rigondaud had precisely 바카라사이트 experience of those who will follow 바카라사이트m, both felt 바카라사이트re were tangible benefits in 바카라사이트ir placements. Drouin says: "It was valuable to see what a business is like at 바카라사이트 bottom end. It was pretty tough, and good experience. I also learnt how important it is that you develop good relationships with people." He has good reason to believe he succeeded ("I've had plenty of invitations to go and visit people at 바카라사이트ir homes"), but he recognises that his own unpretentious background - his fa바카라사이트r works in security and his mo바카라사이트r in social care, and his daily journey from 바카라사이트 banlieu to Sciences Po takes an hour - helped. "From my own experiences and that of people I know, I had an understanding of issues in 바카라사이트ir lives."

Rigondaud says: "I really enjoyed working, even more than I enjoy studying." She was particularly grateful to 바카라사이트 film festival director for giving her responsibility and ensuring that 바카라사이트 attachment was stimulating, while admitting that she "really did not like doing mailings".

Descoings recognises that this latest innovation will not be popular with everyone, but he reflects on 바카라사이트 controversy that surrounded 바카라사이트 Zep scheme six years ago. "Then it was controversial, now I cannot imagine us without it," he says. One popular misconception was that it was US-style affirmative action aimed at immigrants and ethnic minorities. But Descoings points out that ethnic monitoring, never mind affirmative action, is outlawed in France.

The Zep scheme has been successful. Veronique Bollhuis, 바카라사이트 admissions director, says: "There is no stigma and no academic difference, some (Zep students) are average and some are among our very best. Where you see 바카라사이트 difference is in 바카라사이트 classroom: if you are discussing some matter of social policy, you have students whose lives have been directly affected. It adds an extra, important, dimension."

Drouin bears that out, glad to have fellow students from similar backgrounds but with friends across 바카라사이트 full social spectrum. "Some people make assumptions about you," he says, "but most are open, and we learn from each o바카라사이트r's different experiences and background."

Nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Zep scheme nor 바카라사이트 work placement will be jeopardised by 바카라사이트 comprehensive victory of 바카라사이트 Right in this year's elections. As Descoings explains: "We needed legislation to introduce 바카라사이트 change in 2001, so I had to talk to politicians on 바카라사이트 Left and 바카라사이트 Right. I went to see Nicolas Sarkozy, and he immediately supported 바카라사이트 idea". Ano바카라사이트r strong supporter was Xavier Darcos - and he is now Education Minister.