Rankings of high schools: What are the secrets of the success of military establishments? – 20 minutes

A good reputation shrouded in mystery… The Ministry of Education publishes this Wednesday its added value indicators for high schools (Ival) 2021. Among the high schools that show the best results are three military high schools: the Lycée de Saint-Cyr (Yvelines ), the military high school of Aix-en-Provence and the Prytanée national militaire high school La Flèche (Sarthe). for the second, and 85% for the third. Admittedly, the 2021 baccalaureate session was a bit special, certain tests having been canceled or rearranged because of the Covid-19, and the students were assessed more in continuous assessment. But the results of the 2021 session for these defense high schools, attached to the Ministry of the Armed Forces, do not differ much from the 2019 session, before the health crisis. Few students drop out along the way. Moreover, “which is interesting to look at is whether a high school manages to support its students throughout their schooling, from the second to the baccalaureate”, explains Fabienne Rosenwald, head of the Department of Evaluation, Forecasting and Performance (Deep ). However, we note that the three military high schools scrutinized for the Ival show excellent rates of access for second year students to the final class (98%, 95% and 99%). This proves that few students have dropped out along the way and that these establishments do not “get rid” of the less good students along the way. The Depp compares the results obtained in the baccalaureate with those which were expected, estimated on the basis of the sociocultural profiles of the students and their grades in college. And there too, the military high schools show positive results. The other three military high schools in France did not go through the Ival mill in 2021, for lack of available data: the military high school of Autun (Saône-et-Loire), the naval high school of Brest and the Pupilles school of the air of Grenoble-Montbonnot. But according to information obtained by 20 Minutes from them, the School of Air and Space pupils has a success rate of 99% in the general baccalaureate in 2021, 100% in the techno baccalaureate and 92 % at the professional baccalaureate. And the naval school of Brest 100% in the general stream. “The students are not all from privileged social classes” So how can these good results of military schools be explained? By their rather restrictive admission criteria? They are only accessible to children of soldiers, civil servants, but also to scholarship students. “Contrary to popular belief, students in military high schools are not all from privileged social classes,” explains Nadia David, president of the parents’ association of the military high school in Autun. And the percentage of scholarship holders varies from one high school to another: 24% at the high school of the Air and Space School, 19.7% at the Brest naval high school, 15% at the military high school d’Aix-en-Provence… The latter are recruited by each establishment according to its own criteria, knowing that there are many more applicants than admitted: “We recruit scholarship students who have a good academic level, because we does not want to put them in danger academically thereafter, ”explains Colonel Christophe Lhomme, head of the military high school in Aix-en-Provence. “And among the sons and daughters of soldiers, there are children of both officers and non-commissioned officers,” adds Nadia David. their entry into high school is not homogeneous. Because it is not because one is a child of a soldier that one does not have school difficulties. But our premise is that our students all have great potential and that we sometimes have to give them confidence so that they can discover it”, underlines Colonel Christophe Lhomme. Even those who have gaps when they arrive in high school will have to fill them fairly quickly. “Particularly thanks to the working methods that we teach them from the first months and the academic support that we provide them as soon as the first difficulties appear”, he continues. Many adults around high school students The students also benefit from a high supervision rate: teachers seconded from the National Education, military personnel, supervisors… “In Aix, we have one adult for every 7 students. In case of need and whatever the time, the student can always pull the sleeve of an adult. In addition, classes have an average of 25 students, whereas in traditional high schools, the numbers can go up to 30 or 35, ”explains Colonel Christophe Lhomme. And even for those who would like to take it easy, difficult to do so. Especially since they are all internal. “Students have two hours of supervised homework each evening. It forces them to work,” says Nadia David. And even if the level is demanding, she believes that there is a form of benevolence among the teachers: “They want to give the students every chance to succeed”. Very structured life and discipline can sometimes make people disillusioned: in Aix, for example, sunrise is set at 6:30 a.m. and lights out at 10:30 p.m. And the students are 4 to 8 per room, which leaves little privacy. The uniform is also imposed in all military high schools. Even if few students leave these establishments along the way, it happens: “Some are unsuited to community life or fail to flourish,” recognizes Colonel Christophe Lhomme. “Students do not support the strict framework or the distance from their family”, notes Nadia David. Some high schools were also affected a few years ago by cases of harassment and have put measures in place. “In Aix, we have a gender referent and we apply a zero tolerance policy in these cases,” says Colonel Christophe Lhomme. A firm response essential to attract more girls. Because for the time being, they certainly represent 50% of the workforce at the naval school in Brest, but 41% in Aix and 39% at the School of Air and Space pupils…