Bac results out and up on 2008

THE Bac results are out and 78.4% of students succeeded at their first try at the general baccalauréat – which is a 2.9% rise on last year.

Youngest of the 622,322 who passed was a 13-year-old from Nice who got a Very Good mention in his science Bac – but the oldest candidate, Denis Chardenas a 78-year-old former soldier, failed: although he got 15 in his Occitan language option.

Examining officials were astounded at the results of an 18-year-old girl from Nîmes, who received the "congratulations of the jury" after gaining an average of 20.3 out of 20. She had scored 19 in her English test plus bonus points but also got 20 in maths, history, German and spoken French and 18 in philosophy.

Science students did the best with 80.7% of candidates passing.

The results were welcomed by new education minister Luc Chatel although he warned that there were still 150,000 pupils a year leaving the education system without any certificate.