Friday March 13, when Clara takes the way to the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas, she ignores that it will be the last time before long. The day before, during a televised speech, Emmanuel Macron announced to the French the closure of schools and faculties from March 16 due to the epidemic of Covid-19. But, at the height of her 21 years, the student in master of law does not yet measure the full scope of this speech. When, at the end of his course, a teacher says: "See you in September!" She explodes with laughter. "In the lecture hall, we all thought we were joking," she recalls. And then, a month later, we realized that it was reality. "
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A reality that struck Sinan, a 22-year-old student at the École normale supérieure in Lyon and candidate for the aggregation of geography. Like his roommate - listed in history - he had to pass the contest papers on Tuesday March 17. "We learned two days earlier that they would not take place," he says. We were so stunned that we went out to get some fresh air in the park of the residence. "
He then goes back to unanswered questions. For a few days forced himself to open his books, reread his lessons, before preferring the TV series put aside for the holidays. "It is crazy to review the same subjects for weeks when there is no deadline, more visibility on the modalities of our exams," he explains, his voice weary.
All assessments are turned upside down
Because, for a month, Sinan remains in the dark. Without news from the department, he tries not to pay attention to the rumors that are circulating. But one of them takes shape, until it becomes official in mid-April. According to a calendar yet to be determined, only the written tests are maintained - between mid-June and the end of July. "And there, it's the catamaran!" Sinan reacts. Oral is essential to the aggregate, it's time to express our personality, to make a difference. This time, we will have to bet everything on the writing, we will not have a second chance. This puts additional pressure. Especially since the competition is very selective. In 2019, there were 459 candidates registered for 28 places, a success rate of 6.1%.
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From the baccalaureate to the post-bac competitions, from the CAP to the BTS, from the university partial exams to the entrance exams for the grandes écoles, all the spring evaluations are turned upside down. With a fixed course of action: avoid as much as possible any gathering of high school students and students before summer, in order to respect the sanitary measures put in place to stem the epidemic of Covid-19. In this unprecedented context, timed events "online" and continuous testing are preferred. This last method is the one used for the bac and for post-bac contests. What reshuffle the cards, to the chagrin of those who had bet everything on exams.
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VIDEO. Jean-Michel Blanquer gives details on obtaining the bac and the 2020 certificate
“I worked hard for a year to enter Sciences Po, and all this for what? rebels Victor, 18, in Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône). There will be no written, no oral, only a study of our grades obtained in the bac, in terminal and even in 1st! My year is over before I can even defend my chances. The entrance exams to the grandes écoles accessible after a preparatory class, they will be maintained, but postponed for two months. They should be held between June 20 and August 7, in compliance with sanitary requirements. Orals should be canceled. As for the universities, they are still working on the organization of the partials, some imagining replacing the written by oral videoconference, quizzes…
William, 25, an apprentice carpenter engaged with the Compagnons du Devoir, is also expecting it. While he had two months of work placement in a company in Paris, where this Lilleois was repairing doors, confinement forced him to partial unemployment. "I don't know how I'm going to graduate," he reports. The heart of our business is the manual. We have to have a practical test, but it doesn't seem obvious. The government would like to postpone it to September, when Jean-Claude Bellanger, secretary general of the Compagnons du Devoir, pleads for continuous monitoring. "We will not be able to organize exams this fall," he explains. We will already have to welcome 4,000 young people for their first year of learning! "
The start of the new school year in September is a distant horizon and is now completely blurred for a number of students who have been hit by the crisis. Pauline, 20, was to settle in Quebec City, Canada for a year to follow a course at Laval University. But the cancellation of student exchanges, until July 31 at least, may jeopardize his project. “I make my visa and study permit applications, because these are procedures that take time. But I am advised to wait to buy my plane ticket and look for accommodation on the spot, ”confides this law degree student at Paris II Panthéon-Assas.
The stress of a generation
Annoyed, Matthias is too. A second year student of BTS Tourism in Paris, this 20 year old Tropézien sees his dream of Australia come to an end. “I wanted to take a gap year and travel, open up to the world. But it's not going to be possible, ”he says, lucid about the dotted recovery that is looming. Since his parents could no longer pay his rent, he got ready to look for food work, until he could resume his studies. "In my class, we are all lost," he laments. We no longer believe too much in our future in tourism. Many of us want to reorient ourselves. "
Because by putting an end to economic activity, the Covid-19 crisis accentuates the stress of a generation that professional integration already worried a lot. Yet engaged in a double master with high added value - Sciences Po Paris and a large business school -, Maéva admits to feeling "hyper-anxious". To the point of revising his early career plans: “I wanted to sign a two-year work-study contract with an advertising agency, but offers have become scarce. I'm going to broaden my research to more promising digital marketing advice, ”says the 23-year-old student. Who, echoing all these expectant young people, hopes that this epidemic will not obscure its future too much.