Paris (AFP)

After the abolition of the ENA, more social mix in the grandes écoles? It is the desire of the government to diversify student profiles in these ultra-selective institutions, for example by creating alternative routes to competitions or quotas.

Polytechnique, HEC, Essec, Normal Sup '... "It is time to have in our large schools a more similar representation of our society, in its geographical and social diversity," said Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education , in an interview with Le Monde.

President Emmanuel Macron has already declared his support for the abolition of the National School of Administration (ENA) in April, after the national "big debate" provoked by the popular "yellow vests" crisis. He has since sent the lawyer and enarque Frédéric Thiriez, whose proposals are expected in six months.

The President of the Republic, himself a graduate of the ENA, justified this decision, which may have seemed to some somewhat demagogic, to "build something that works better".

"Like the ENA, the French grandes écoles are a lever for social and political transformation of the country," said Frederique Vidal Tuesday at the General Assembly of the Conference of Grandes Ecoles.

According to the minister, higher education counts "38% of fellows, but they are only 19% at the Ecole normale supérieure (Paris) or 11% at Polytechnique, which gathered only 2% of children of workers and employees in his latest promotion ".

Its objective: "significantly increase" in these schools the share of students from popular backgrounds and geographical areas away from major centers.

The minister will ask the directors of the Ecole Polytechnique, Ecole normale supérieure (Paris, Saclay, Lyon) but also of HEC, Essec and ESCP Europe, proposals to advance on the subject. A first stage is scheduled for mid-July before a final report in September.

"Three aspects will have to be examined", according to her: "the diversification of access routes, the content of training and student life, as well as equal access to jobs and jobs at the exit. through legislation, we will do it. "

- "Without taboos" -

"It is no longer possible to have infinitesimal chances to join some large establishments if you do not come from a preparatory class in Paris," she adds.

For the minister, the reflection that opens must be "without taboos". She is ready, in particular, to create alternative ways to contests, on the model of what Sciences Po has done.

In 2001, the Institute of Political Studies was a pioneer in the field of equal opportunities by launching the Priority Education Conventions (CEP), a selective access route for high school students in priority education. .

"Can we select equally, that is to say, indifferently, young people with radically different conditions and opportunities?", Asked Ms. Vidal, without excluding the idea of ​​setting quotas for fellows.

"A bad idea", has already reacted François Bouchet, CEO of Polytechnique. It also warns: "We attach great importance to preserving the excellence of our recruitment.This goes through a very important selectivity that can not be short-circuited by systems that could be seen as privileges."

If we do not touch the contests, what solution to consider to diversify the recruitment of students from the grandes écoles? "Detect the right profiles, as far upstream as possible", for example, Mr. Bouchet.

He reminds that many initiatives are already taken within the grandes écoles, with "opening operations" towards students from disadvantaged high schools.

"But there is still a lot of self-censorship in these circles," he admitted.

? 2019 AFP