La rentrée scolaire

As I hopped round the local supermarket - I had gone in for tomato ketchup and came out with cereal bars, a big slice of pizza and a ream of paper, but no tomato ketchup - it was pretty to see the pens, pencils, bags, rulers, compasses, exercise books and tracing paper all set out for the rentrée scolaire. Parents have to buy the stuff their kids will need in school and it suddenly hit me that next year, in all probability, will be the last time we have to do the shopping for the rentrée scolaire or face the prospect of another winter of 6am starts.

For Gwilym is in terminale this year. His last year of school. He's already actively planning his departure for the UK next August, thinking of a sort of music based discipleship school in Coventry, of church apprenticeships and then of WEST.

And Catrin is in première. She has chosen her option. She's doing a bac L - Littéraire.

Few choose this option.

Most kids choose a bac S - Scientifique - because they believe it gives you more options for gainful employ in the future. They are almost certainly right.

The majority of the rest choose ES - Economique/Sociale - because they are not that good at science or because they are fascinated by economics, sociology or business.

Some are told they must do L because their marks in S and ES subjects are not good enough.

But Catrin chose it out of interest.

So we just watched Catrin totter off down the driveway in the morning gloom.

Comments

Emmanuel said…
Well, if your children were to go to University in Bordeaux, it wouldn't be the end of 6 am start. Lectures can start at 8am even in University.
7:33 am
Alan said…
Catrin might consider further study in Bordeaux, but Gwilym plans to return to the UK next year.
7:40 am
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