Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon

Description

The ENS Lyon is one of the four Ecoles normales supérieures in France. Another one (ENS-LSH) is also located in Lyon, and the two remaining (Ulm and Cachan) have locations in Paris and the neighboring area. At first, France's system of higher education may seem a bit confusing to students arriving from other countries. In fact, after obtaining a secondary school diploma, French students have different options. All French students with a secondary school diploma may enter one of the French universities. This is the option chosen by a majority of secondary school graduates who decide to pursue their studies. However, a smaller number of students decide to prepare for entrance into one of France's prestigious grandes écoles, including the different écoles normales supérieures.Entrance into one of the grandes écoles is difficult. In order to be admitted, French students must pass a difficult entrance exam. The most likely route to qualify to take the exam is through the classes préparatoires. Students in these special preparatory classes spend two years getting ready for the competitive entrance exam, or concours, for the grandes écoles.The origin of France's Ecoles normales supérieures dates back to 1795. Over the last two centuries the schools have undergone many changes. Like the Normal Schools in the U.S. and Canada, the French Ecoles normales were intended for primary school teachers, while the Ecoles normales supérieures provided a more advanced education often intended for future professors of the lower level écoles normales. While in the past each school was reserved for either boys or girls, today the four ENS offer a high level education to both men and women preparing for a career in secondary and higher education, research, public administration, politics, business, and industry.