Economics
France's Baccalauréat: Not Worth the Pain
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It’s not too often that I feel truly sorry for my high-school-senior son. But this week he’s had my total sympathy as he slogs through the infamous French bac.
Besides completing their coursework, high school seniors in France must take a grueling series of year-end exams, known collectively as the baccalauréat, or bac. In my son’s case, this has included four-hour essay tests in economics, English, French, history, and philosophy (yes, philosophy!), as well as exams in math, sciences, and foreign languages. Coming up next week: oral interrogations in literature, history, and geography.