École normale supérieure

When institutes for primary teachers training called écoles normales were created in 1845, the word supérieure (meaning upper) was added to form the current name.

The Savary Law of 1984 restructured higher education in France and classified écoles normales supérieures within the category of établissements publics à caractère scientifique, culturel et professionnel.

The idea of an école normale, a place to train teachers for the secondary schools, is already mentioned in a report on education made in 1768 by Rolland, president of the Parlement of Paris.

Subsequently, a law dated 29 July 1881 founded the École normale supérieure de jeunes filles located in Sèvres.

[6] In order to train the teaching body of these schools, so-called écoles normales supérieures de l’enseignement primaire were needed.

[7][8][9] Grandes Écoles typically have much smaller class sizes and student bodies than public universities in France, and many of their programs are taught in English.

[10] International internships, study abroad opportunities, and close ties with government and the corporate world are a hallmark of the Grandes Écoles.

Until recently and unlike most of the other grandes écoles, the écoles normales supérieures did not award any specific diplomas (students who had completed the curriculum they had agreed to with the office of the Dean upon arrival were simply entitled to be known as "ENS Alumni" or "Normaliens"), but they encourage their students to obtain university diplomas in partner institutions whilst providing extra classes and support.