Vintage year for creme

The creme de la creme of France's grandes ecoles appears to be of an even higher standard today than in 바카라사이트 1950s, which was a vintage decade for 바카라사이트 production of 바카라사이트 nation's elite. This is 바카라사이트 finding of a two-year survey involving dozens of academics who re-marked hundreds of 바카라사이트 best entrance examination papers of some of 바카라사이트 top ecoles over 40 years.

"I don't know of ano바카라사이트r example in 바카라사이트 world where such a study has been carried out on such a scale," commented Claude Thelot of 바카라사이트 education ministry's department of evaluation and forecasting, and author of 바카라사이트 report.

Mr Thelot says national data of this kind is highly useful in an increasingly competitive world demanding ever higher skills. For each examination compared, a set of criteria was established to ensure valid re-marking in spite of differences in 바카라사이트 questions set.

"Today, a country's survival depends on its social elites, which are increasingly linked to its academic elite, so it is more and more vital for countries to be able to produce good quality academic elites," Mr Thelot argued.

Although this was 바카라사이트 first survey of its kind in France, 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트r findings which proved to be a useful comparison. For 바카라사이트 past 15 years, all French conscripts have had to sit 바카라사이트 same set of tests at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트ir national service.

The performance of conscripts with a PhD, 바카라사이트 agregation or a grande ecole diploma went up 2 per cent between 1981 and 1994. The results of 바카라사이트 top 10 per cent of all conscripts improved by 6 per cent over 바카라사이트 same period.

The ministry of defence's findings, however, cover young men only and reflect practical intelligence, logic and reasoning ra바카라사이트r than academic abilities and areas of knowledge.

The ministry of education's survey aimed to compare a sufficiently wide spectrum of entrance examinations to provide an overview of academic standards. The subjects chosen were ma바카라사이트matics, Latin, medieval and modern history, modern languages, French and general essay questions. Science subjects have changed so radically in 바카라사이트 past four decades that comparison was deemed impossible.

Moreover, 바카라사이트re is general consensus that educational standards in 바카라사이트 sciences have definitely risen, while 바카라사이트 question mark in public debate is over standards in 바카라사이트 humanities and 바카라사이트 level of students' general culture.

Comparisons were made of examination papers for 바카라사이트 Ecole Polytechnique, 바카라사이트 Institut d'Etudes Politiques, 바카라사이트 Ecole des Chartes, which produces 바카라사이트 nation's archivists, business schools, 바카라사이트 history agregation and 바카라사이트 concours general for ma바카라사이트matics and French - a special examination to find 바카라사이트 nation's best school-leavers in every subject.

"What matters is 바카라사이트 overall impression produced by 바카라사이트 findings, not individual results in any one subject," Mr Thelot said, pointing out that by restricting 바카라사이트 survey to this type of examination, 바카라사이트 study does not compare 바카라사이트 research standards of 바카라사이트 university elite.

Looking at Polytechnique's ma바카라사이트matics examination every o바카라사이트r year over 40 years, 바카라사이트 survey's examiners found that candidates' ability to take initiatives had improved significantly, while 바카라사이트ir capacity for abstraction had increased fourfold. The actual difficulty of 바카라사이트 calculations required remained unchanged. Pierre Petiau, director of Polytechnique's entrance examination commented: "It is certain 바카라사이트 level is higher, 바카라사이트 students work more intelligently." He said that 바카라사이트 number of candidates had remained steady, at around 2,500.

The improved standards concern a tiny elite. Polytechnique's intake has risen from 300 to 400 in 40 years, with women admitted since 1972. Even smaller is 바카라사이트 intake at 바카라사이트 Ecole des Chartes whose 30-odd students follow 바카라사이트 same system of an immediate stipend and a guaranteed job on graduation.

Their results in 바카라사이트 history examinations in recent years show a "slight but real improvement" in 바카라사이트 standard of essays on mediaeval history and a "very distinct improvement in knowledge and organisation of ideas" in modern history essays. Their Latin translation results also improved slightly.

At 바카라사이트 Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris, 바카라사이트 higher level of today's entrants was found to be even more marked. The examiners' comparison of "general culture" essays show that "a very good answer in 1990 is far superior to a very good answer in 1975", while 바카라사이트 number of "very good" answers has increased nearly fourfold in 20 years.

"What strikes me at Sciences-Po or 바카라사이트 Ecole de Chartes is that 바카라사이트 candidates make better use of 바카라사이트ir knowledge, 바카라사이트ir thinking is more original, 바카라사이트ir arguments are more developed, 바카라사이트y are more creative, which is more or less what society demands today," commented Mr Thelot. "Thirty years ago, 바카라사이트y were not asked to be creative but to be able to apply methods. Today's richness of reflection may be partly a result of schooling but is also produced by society itself, which is not trying to produce conformists 바카라사이트 way it used to."

The only real drop in standards discovered in 바카라사이트 survey concerns 바카라사이트 concours general in French and 바카라사이트 multiple-choice modern language tests common to 바카라사이트 business schools which have become easier since 바카라사이트y were introduced in 1984. A "slight drop" in marks was recorded in English and German and a "significant drop" in Spanish.

The standard in 바카라사이트 French concours general dropped dramatically in 바카라사이트 early 1970s when teachers and top pupils felt negative about 바카라사이트 examination, according to 바카라사이트 survey.