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sec4b.docxModule 5
The French State: Language, Culture and Education
Section 4: Education
Part B: Public Education: Les Grandes écoles
l'École nationale d'administration
Overview
In this brief section we look at l’ÉNA (l’École nationale d’administration), the most prestigious of the grandes écoles.
Key terms and concepts: énarque, concours, elitism, ranking system.
Table of Contents:
· Chapter 14: The Enarchy (Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong, pp. 191-203)
In Chapter 14, N-B examine the top tier of the French educational system, l'École Nationale d'Administration, created by Charles de Gaulle after World War II to replenish the ranks of the top government posts after the fall of the Vichy government. In the highly selective system of grandes écoles, this school is the most prestigious, graduating 110 each year and placing its graduates in posts where the best civil servants expect to end their careers. N-B provide an inside view of the experience of becoming one of the élite, describing the rigors of the concours, which are truly quite astounding. Once accepted, the student begins a 27-month program which includes 2 6-month internships They relate some eye-witness accounts of those who have been through the experience and report the varying opinions and ongoing debate about the merits of the program. They note that some foreign students are admitted; however, their status is never quite the same and the French natives' since they do not compete for the positions in the French government. Grading is by points, and everyone is ranked in order, as in a military academy. As N-B explain: "Before ÉNA existed, families, associations, and apolitical parties monopolized ministerial services. The system of choice-by-ranking frees the administration from the influence of elected politicians. Ministries have no choice about which énarque they hire (p.198). The downside is that top candidates take prestigious jobs over what they might prefer. Also, the fact that the top posts are filled with young, inexperienced énarques is controversial, although sometimes these young minds bring energy and fresh approaches to problem-solving. N-B conclude that the "enarchy" suits France and generally has worked well there. The one danger sign they see ahead: since the mid-1990s, applications to l'ENA as well as to business and engineering schools have been dropping off and no one knows why. This has forced the schools to look to the universities for new recruits. This is not a sign that the elite is disappearing, however. As N-B conclude: "It's probably just, once again, taking a new form" (p. 203).
Historically, the president of the République is a graduate of ÉNA. Nicolas Sarkozy, elected in 2007, was an exception. However, subsequent presidents, Hollande (2012-2017) and Macron (2017-present), are énarques. With the decline in interest in l'ÉNA it will be interesting to see if the tradition continues with regularity.
*Since N-B published this book, The École nationale d'Administration (ENA) relocated to Strasbourg in March 2005 to attract a more international clientele.
(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
· Where did N-B get the term "enarchy"?
· When, by whom, and for what purpose was l’École nationale d'administration created?
· What is unique about the school's program?
· How has l'ENA's system of choice-by-ranking helped to curb political favoritism?
· List one advantage and one disadvantage to the placement of énarques in top posts directly out of school.
· What changes in the 1990s is causing some changes in the recruitment practices for l'ENA as well as business and engineering schools?
