INTELLECTUAL *[FRANCE'S STUDENTS]* CHAMPIONSHIP

THE CONCOURS GENERAL, created in 1744, expects the participants - boys as well as girls - to answer questions in science, history, geography, mathematics and literature, also-

Submitting essays in classical languages such as Greek and Latin.

The whole requires about five hours and takes place every year In March while the results are made public by mid July.

FRANCE'S resounding victory at the  international football championship final last week turned the media a bit upside down and, consequently, the coverage of a distinguished traditional event was hushed in the back seat.

But let us keep ourselves concentrated on the "Concours General" that readers will certainly find much more interesting than a football match.

It is the most prestigious examination held once a year in this country for the past nearly three hundred years and is open to all high school students.

The winners, and here comes the big surprise are offered absolutely nothing as recompense save for a great national ceremony  at the Sorbonne University in Paris in the presence of the Education Minister.

That doesn't mean however that they are totally forgotten.

To give you only a few examples, among the most well-known and legendary historical figures to have passed this test are:

Arthur Rimbaud the poet, Louis Pasteur the biologist and inventor of vaccination and of course,  Victor Hugo the novelist whose works Les Miserables and the Hunchback of Notre Dame are known all over the world.

As a matter of fact nobody is really obliged to enter the competition but practically everyone dreams of doing it at least once in their lifetime.

There is no parallel to this French tradition in any other country in the world.

The honor and serving of the latest Global Operational Research on great traditions, great thinking continues. The World Students Society thanks author and researcher Zafar Masud/Paris.