École Normale Primaire
[1] During the First Empire (1804–1814), article 108 of the Imperial Decree of March 17, 1808, concerning the organization of the University of France, provided for the creation of "normal classes" within the lycées or collèges "intended to train teachers for the primary schools".
Contrary to François Guizot's wishes, the new law did not apply to girls, whose education continued to be governed by the previous, more restrictive regulations.
On June 2, 1833, David Lévi Alvarès, in partnership with M. Lourmand, opened a regular course for aspiring female teachers at the Hôtel de Ville, Paris.
During the Second Republic (1848–1852) and the Second Empire (1852–1870), normal schools were viewed with suspicion by the authorities, who suspected them of promoting democratic or even socialist ideas.
Under the Third Republic (1870–1940), the Republican victory in the senatorial elections of 1879 led to Jules Ferry's appointment to the Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts, then to the presidency of the council.
Between 1879 and 1882, a series of school laws were passed establishing compulsory, free, and secular primary education for all boys and girls in France between the ages of 6 and 13 (rising to 14 in 1936).
Until 1940, those admitted to the entrance examination were required to undergo three years of education, at the end of which they had to pass the «Brevet de capacité pour l'enseignement primaire» ("Primary school teaching certificate" in English)[23] corresponding to the Brevet supérieur (Certificate of higher education for primary teaching in English) and giving them the right to be appointed as probationary teachers to obtain their CAP (Certificat d'aptitude pédagogique) and thus their tenure.
They then had the precarious status of remplaçants (auxiliary teachers who could be dismissed at any time) and had to teach for several years before they could finally obtain their CAP and thus tenure.
At the time of the Liberation (1944–1945), the commission appointed on November 8, 1944, by René Capitant, minister of the GPRF, and chaired by Charles de Gaulle, was to draw up a major democratic reform of education.
The fourth year would culminate in an examination - the famous CFEN (Certificat de fin d'études normales) - that students have to pass to qualify for the position of trainee teacher.
At the end of this class, depending on their ranking and subject to having passed the baccalauréat, they could - on the advice of the teachers' council and the decision of the Inspector of the Académie - either enter a preparatory class for the entrance exam to the Ecole Normale Supérieure at Saint-Cloud (for boys) or Fontenay-aux-Roses (for girls), or be appointed as trainees in a two-year regional training center for middle school teachers, or return to their original normal school.
In these educational centers, they received remuneration as trainee civil servants and were responsible for their accommodation, while benefiting from their student status when it came to (CROUS) university canteens at reduced rates.
They then benefited from dual training, both professional and academic, with the possibility of taking the university certificate for the first year of university studies, and thus possibly being admitted to the IPES (Instituts préparatoires à l'enseignement du second degré), where they were paid as trainee teachers for three years to prepare for their teaching license and the CAPES (Certificat d'aptitude pédagogique à l'enseignement secondaire) examination, or for 4 years to prepare for a DES (diplôme d'études supérieures) and take the agrégation examination to become certified or chartered teachers in collèges or lycées.
Those who were not fortunate enough to be admitted to the IPES (given the very low number of places available), had to pass the written and oral tests for the CFEN - CEG at the end of their two years at the education center, to qualify for a middle school teaching post in their home department.
This was the entrance examination for the IREPS (Instituts régionaux d'éducation physique et sportive), which provided a three-year training course for physical education and sports teachers, enabling some of them to pass the competitive entrance examination for the ENSEPS (l'école normale supérieure d'éducation physique et sportive) in Paris.
After 1973, the entrance examination for normal schools was postponed until after the baccalauréat, with professional training extended from one to two years, as envisaged in part by the 1947 Langevin-Wallon[28] plan.
In 1990–1991, IUFM (Instituts Universitaires de Formation des Maîtres) replaced normal schools, following the Jospin Law of July 10, 1989.
Under the July 8, 2013 law of orientation and programming for the refoundation of the school of the Republic, ESPEs (Écoles supérieures du professorat et de l'éducation) succeeded IUFMs, and entrance examinations to the teaching profession are accessible with enrolment in the first year of a Master's degree.
Under the July 26, 2019 law for a school of confidence, ESPEs are renamed INSPÉ (Instituts nationaux supérieurs du professorat et de l'éducation).
