Today is the day! At ten o'clock this morning Terminale pupils all over France get their results and see what two years of work has earned them. Certain subjects will have been examined last year in Première to make way for philosophy etc in Terminale.
Dependent on a final exam performance in 12 subjects which get points according to weighting, which in turn are reduced to a single final mark out of 20 (no weirder than a percentage really) the Bac has its detractors and people keep saying it is getting easier - but that isn't how those sitting it see it.
This is the culmination of their school career, you can't do much with just the Bac but you can't really do anything without it. There are three types of Bac:
The General Bac: S for science specialists, ES for economics and social science specialists, L for literature specialists
Technological Bacs (many different types) and Professional Bacs (again, many different types)
A mention Assez Bien (12 to 13.9 out of 20) Bien (14 to 15.9 out of 20) or Très Bien (16 and up) is cause for speechlessness, shrieks and/or tears - many are just happy to pass and certainly the vast majority of Bacheliers were wandering around with huge delighted grins on their faces.
I went to Lycée this morning with my daughter to see all the results posted up, collect the actual mark sheet which gives the marks for individual subjects and commiserate with or congratulate her friends, many of whom are my ex-pupils, as appropriate.
The agora was full of young people being congratulated by their teachers, some of whom had brought Champagne along for their pupils, some who were advising those who didn't get through on which two subjects they should take for a viva next week in the hope of getting those vital extra points which will get them over the magic 10 out of 20 and make them Bacheliers.
This morning we went to school a bit stressed, the sun was shining (not something we can take for granted this year) and it was all a bit of a whirl. I finally drove a very happy daughter home - after celebrating at school, there will be more celebrating tonight. She did Bac S and got mention Très Bien and an overall mark of 19 out of 20. Next year she'll be in Prépa in Paris aiming for the highest level of education France has to offer. I'm thrilled for her.