How to clarify the inflation of mentions to the bac? | EUROtoday

On Jul 11, 2025

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SAnother shock, the success fee within the BAC 2025 remains to be up. This 12 months, after catching up, it was 91.8 %, up 0.4 factors in comparison with that of the June 2024 session (91.4 %), the place the bac was itself up of 0.5 factors in comparison with 2023 (90.9 %).

In element, the success fee reaches 96.4 % typically (+ 0.3 factors over a 12 months). In the technological means, 91.2 % of candidates graduated, a rise of 0.9 share factors in comparison with 2024, and 84.1 % of the candidates of the skilled path (+ 0.6 level), mentioned the Ministry of National Education.

But once more this 12 months, that is the variety of mentions that marks probably the most. Even if the share of candidates acquired with laurels drops barely this 12 months within the normal sector ( – 0.7 level), the overall variety of baccalaureate holders having obtained greater than 12/20 within the bac will increase by 0.4 factors in comparison with June 2024, with a rise of 1.2 factors for technological {and professional} sectors.

An evolution that takes a daunting flip when evaluating the figures to these of 1997, since their fee has greater than doubled in virtually 1 / 4 of a century. As for the speed of “very good” mentions, it skilled a rise of … 1,466 % all sectors mixed! How to clarify it, when France is falling again into worldwide rankings? We interviewed Patrick Rayou, professor emeritus in academic and coaching sciences at Paris 8 University.

The degree rises

We are inclined to correlate the rise within the variety of baccalaureate holders to a degradation of the worth of the bac. “But it all depends on what we are talking about,” tempers the sociologist. “The market value of the bac is de facto de facto because the high school students have more numerous to have their baccalaureate and this diploma has long been enough for a long time to distinguish themselves on the“ market ”of upper schooling after which on the labor market. Today, what’s proof is the grasp’s diploma. And it’s doubtless that tomorrow would be the doctorates that may play this position.

In this sense, the bac has above all a symbolic worth. The educational worth of the bac is nonetheless significantly better than earlier than, as a result of the expectations are very totally different. Today, a bachelor shouldn’t be content material to return information he has saved. He should be capable to problematize issues and make hyperlinks between the disciplinary fields. Which is rather more intellectually talking. Let’s not overlook! »»

Mentions whose degree of necessities varies relying on the bins

The common degree of 15 -year -old college students drops in PISA surveys, however sI We look within the particulars of the 2022 report of the OECD, we understand that the scholars “per hour”, that’s to say who’re in second at 15 years, have higher outcomes than these in third on the similar age. “Except to believe that three years of high school were enough to absorb this difference, the differences in levels should logically be found in Bac 2025, since it is the same promotion of students. One of the explanations perhaps lies in the fact that these workforce is distributed between the general baccalaureate, technological baccalaureate and vocational baccalaureate, ”says Patrick Rayou.

“Now each of these baccalaureates has its own level of requirement. On arrival we end up with mentions in each of these bins. But it is not certain that a “very good” mention obtained in general bac is equivalent to a “very good” mention obtained in technological or professional bac. Even more, insists the sociologist, that even within these three major sectors, the levels of requirement vary according to the specialties chosen, and that high school students now have all cross -line parcans: they tend to choose what will favor them.

More strategists

“” The pressure imposed by Parcoursup encourages certain families, often the wealthiest, to put in place very early strategies intended to help their child to do well in school competition “, Observes Patrick Rayou. This is the selection of faculty, tutoring, but in addition the selection of additional -curricular actions or cultural practices that can be useful. Result: whereas the extent of deprived social lessons, much less effectively conscious of faculty competitors, tends to stagnate, the extent of probably the most favored kids improves, and the variety of “very good” mentions will increase.

Inflation of notes

To preserve the fame of their highschool, promote college students of their candidacy recordsdata in greater schooling and keep away from dad and mom’ disputes, some lecturers would have began to notice their college students extra generously. What does the sociologist say? “It would be necessary to study it statistically, based on quantitative data from the DEPP but also of qualitative work directly questioning the teachers, but it is a small music that we hear more and more,” says Patrick Rayou, who factors to a “combined effect” of Parcoursup and the institution of steady management.

More and extra graduates to go for scientific specialties

It is a truth: as a result of it’s the specialties that open probably the most doorways in Parcoursup, the scholars of first and ultimate 12 months are an increasing number of quite a few to go for scientific specialties. However in these issues the place the reply could be very usually both simply or false, the lecturers usually tend to observe as much as 20/20, “which is not the case in more literary matters”, explains Patrick Rayou. “This concretely means that where a good student will rarely exceed 15/20 in specialty” humanities, literature and philosophy “, he can have an 18/20 by opting for the” arithmetic “specialty or the specialty” physical-chemistry “. Consequence: the number of mentions increases.

Better rated literary materials

“This deserves to be scientifically verified”, specifies the researcher, but this is perhaps added to awareness of the teachers of literary, economic and social matters, who, to no longer disadvantage students who have opted for these specialties may have sought to align their notation on scientific subjects and have started to note up to 20. “This might be one other rationalization of the phenomenon of enhance within the notes of steady management,” he said. And also also explain the increase in the number of mentions.

The game of optional lessons

It is generally LV3, Greek or Latin, a sporting discipline or an artistic discipline to choose between theater, audiovisual cinema, music, plastic arts or even the stories of the arts.

To uncover

The kangaroo of the day

Answer

These optionally available classes are added to specialties. Lasting 3 hours weekly, “they are often chosen by first and final students in order to distinguish themselves in the selective coursesup sectors. The goal is not necessarily to earn points in the bac, but As these are motivated and gifted students in the discipline chosen, this has the mechanical effect of increasing their general average to continuous control, ”observes Patrick Rayou. This is all of the extra true in the event that they select a number of (as much as 4 optionally available classes within the normal bac) and so they observe it for 2 years (the annual common being rewarded with a coefficient 2).

Students extra motivated by monetary awards

“If the mentions in the bac are useless in terms of access to the most ordinary sectors in higher education, they have become a significant financial boost for future students,” observes Patrick Rayou. Many banks at the moment are rewarding the baccalaureate holders who’ve obtained greater than 12/20. Some municipalities and areas additionally achieve this, in addition to the Crous who’ve arrange “merit aid” for college kids who’ve obtained a “very good” point out the earlier 12 months. “While student precariousness is increasing, it is not impossible that these aids have an incentive effect for high school students passing the bac,” concludes the teacher-researcher.

https://www.lepoint.fr/education/comment-expliquer-l-inflation-de-mentions-au-bac-11-07-2025-2594189_3584.php