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Baccalaureate System

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  • 27-09-2016 9:36pm
    #1
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭


    Anyone taught/learned in this system?
    How does it stack up against the Leaving Cert?


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    #2
    judeboy101
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,246 ✭✭✭judeboy101


    Gebgbegb wrote: »
    Anyone taught/learned in this system?
    How does it stack up against the Leaving Cert?

    From my understanding the French bac is like English a-levels, very restrictive to particular topics and not the broad egalitarian exam that the leaving cert is.


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    #3
    TheSplendid
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭TheSplendid


    French native here!

    The Bac is quite different from the Leaving Cert. First, there's no point system, and the exam itself doesn't have much impact on where you go for Third Level Education - in some cases you actually know where you'll end up before the exam, provided that you pass it.

    Also, two years before the Bac (so basically when you get to the equivalent of 5th year), you have to chose a "filière", which determines which coefficients will be applied to your subjects. The main ones are L (Littéraire), ES (Economique et Social), and S (Scientifique). For instance, if you pick L, you'll do mainly literary subjects (such as 8 hours of Philosophy per week if my memory serves right), and they'll count more in your exam than Maths for instance. If you pick S, your science subjects will have a very strong coefficient: 7 for Math, against 4 for French, for instance.

    Also, in some subjects, you do the exam at the end of 1ère (that 5th year equivalent). It's the case for French, for instance.

    Finally, to pass it, you need to get an average of 10/20 accross your exam. Meaning that what you get in the individual subjects doesn't matter as much as the average itself, so if you fail one, you won't necessarily fail the Bac.

    It's a very different system, not necessarily better or harder. Days and classes last longer, and there's lots to learn. You don't have as much pressure as for the Leaving Cert since the impact isn't as strong, but it's still quite important! And even though it's not continuous assessment, I'd say it rewards continuous work more than the LC, since that's what matters most for Third Level Education.

    Not sure if that answers your question. I can't really give you a clean cut comparison between the two systems, they work differently and, to a certain extent, towards different goals.


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    #4
    ejak1
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭ejak1


    Gebgbegb wrote: »
    Anyone taught/learned in this system?
    How does it stack up against the Leaving Cert?

    Do yo mean the European Baccalaureate for European schools in Brussels and Luxembourg and germany etc? This is a different curriculum to the French baccalaureate. I can't link but if you google European baccalaureate you will see that it is not attached to any one country but common to european schools in several countries. They rmploy irish teachers. On secondment to teach curriculum, even Irish langusge. Its very language based. They have to study other subjects through their second and third language. A member of my family briefly attended a European school in Brussels so I learned a small bit about the system.


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    #5
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    ejak1 wrote: »
    Do yo mean the European Baccalaureate for European schools in Brussels and Luxembourg and germany etc? This is a different curriculum to the French baccalaureate. I can't link but if you google European baccalaureate you will see that it is not attached to any one country but common to european schools in several countries. They rmploy irish teachers. On secondment to teach curriculum, even Irish langusge. Its very language based. They have to study other subjects through their second and third language. A member of my family briefly attended a European school in Brussels so I learned a small bit about the system.

    Ya it must be the European version, there was an article recently in the newspaper saying that 'tll be all the rage soon'... Because it promotes independent thinking or something (usual anti irish education tirade). I'll try and link to it later.


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    #6
    SpatialPlanning
    Registered Users Posts: 318 ✭✭SpatialPlanning


    I teach in an IB (International Baccalaureate) school internationally, if that is what you are referring to. My wife teaches the IBDP (equivalent of Leaving Cert level). Happy to answer any specific questions.
    Overall, it's a much more rigorous and demanding programme than the Leaving Cert. In my opinion, it's a much better college preparatory option than the Leaving Cert, but it's not accessible for all students. The work load it quite high.


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    #7
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    SpatialPlanning wrote: »
    I teach in an IB (International Baccalaureate) school internationally, if that is what you are referring to. My wife teaches the IBDP (equivalent of Leaving Cert level). Happy to answer any specific questions.
    Overall, it's a much more rigorous and demanding programme than the Leaving Cert. In my opinion, it's a much better college preparatory option than the Leaving Cert, but it's not accessible for all students. The work load it quite high.

    Thanks, so how does it work in terms of subjects and choices (in comparrison to the LCert). (Poster above mentioned the French System!)


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    #8
    SpatialPlanning
    Registered Users Posts: 318 ✭✭SpatialPlanning


    Gebgbegb wrote: »
    SpatialPlanning wrote: »
    I teach in an IB (International Baccalaureate) school internationally, if that is what you are referring to. My wife teaches the IBDP (equivalent of Leaving Cert level). Happy to answer any specific questions.
    Overall, it's a much more rigorous and demanding programme than the Leaving Cert. In my opinion, it's a much better college preparatory option than the Leaving Cert, but it's not accessible for all students. The work load it quite high.

    Thanks, so how does it work in terms of subjects and choices (in comparrison to the LCert). (Poster above mentioned the French System!)
    I'm not really up to date on the French system I can tell you about the International Baccalaureate.
    In terms of choices, you have to take 6 IB classes and also complete a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) class, an extended independent research paper, and CAS. CAS is Creativity, Activity and Service and expects the students to complete around 150 hours of activities over the two years. The work load for each of the classes is similar to A level and each class is externally examined at the end of the two year programme. In comparison with the Leaving Cert, the IB is more demanding primarily because of the depth in which you cover each subject, and also the level of critical writing and scholarship expected. It is a rigorous college preparatory programme and most students will find their first year of university very manageable having gone through the IBDP.
    Going back to choices - classes vary according to what different schools are able to offer but choices must be balanced. You choose from courses offered in MFL, Social Studies, Sciences, Maths, Arts, Language/Literature.


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    #9
    echancrure
    Registered Users Posts: 606 ✭✭✭echancrure


    Gebgbegb wrote: »
    Thanks, so how does it work in terms of subjects and choices (in comparrison to the LCert). (Poster above mentioned the French System!)

    Well in the French system you do quite lot of subjects no matter what your stream is. For instance in the science stream you do:

    French
    History/Geography
    Maths
    Physics/Chemistry
    Biology
    Foreign Language 1 (typically English)
    Foreign Language 2
    Philosophy
    Sport

    All of the above are compulsory.


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