10,000 additional university places at the start of the academic year

The Minister of Higher Education Frédérique Vidal announced Tuesday the opening of 10,000 additional places at the start of the school year in the most popular areas of higher education to cope with the influx of high school students this year after a record rate of success in the baccalauréat.

“To help them (the baccalaureat holders), we decided to finance 10,000 additional places for the start of the school year, in line with the demands of these students, many in short courses, health, and social or paramedical fields,” explained Frédérique Vidal in an interview with Le Parisien.

An uncertain start to the new school year

“Requests for paramedical training have been multiplied by two or three on Parcoursup. These jobs have made a lot of sense in recent months, and the enthusiasm of baccalaureat holders to move towards them is a reflection of the ability of our youth to want to make themselves useful,” said the minister. Solicited, the Ministry of Higher Education was not reachable Tuesday at noon.

This year, with the record success rate of 95.7% in the baccalaureate, the question arises as to how higher education will absorb the flood of new baccalaureat holders who will swell the numbers of institutions with limited capacity. This management of the influx of high school students into higher education is combined with preparing a still very uncertain start to the new school year against the backdrop of a coronavirus epidemic.

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Le Parisien

The express