Rail Strikes, Cheat Tweets, and the Philosophy BAC


The railway strike in France has entered its sixth day, risking making students late for the philosophy portion of the baccalauréat exam.

the timing of this strike, reaching into the baccalauréat week, is also a public-relations risk. Every June, as part of a national ritual, over half a million school-leavers sit down to take the first bac exams. For half of them, this involves a four-hour philosophy exam based around a single essay question; this morning’s choices included “Do we live in order to be happy?” The prospect of pupils arriving late due to the train strike has prompted much indignation and an emergency scheme by the SNCF to encourage car-pooling and other alternatives.

Meanwhile, a French teen taking the exam has tweeted some of the questions to her followers on Twitter.

Beyond the Ivory Tower. Workshop for academics on writing short pieces for wide audiences on big questions. Taking place October 18th to 19th. Application deadline July 30th. Funding provided.
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