ABSTRACT
In order to maintain their position and power, elites usually have to face the question of their legitimacy (Weber 1922). One of the main means of legitimacy in modern democracies is found in the creation of meritocratic selection devices (Parsons 1951; Young 1958). In the education-based meritocratic model (Tenret 2011), school achievement is crucial in justifying high-status/high reward positions, as purporting to provide and certify the distinctive skills and competencies which are associated with such positions. In the case of France (Duru-Bellat 2006; Iribarne 2006) elites are selected and trained through a distinctive and integrated track following from the baccalauréat (secondary school certificate). From among the highest school achievers a small number among those who apply are selected to enrol in a special programme called classes préparatoires where they are ‘prepared’ over two to three years for the concours, the highly competitive entrance exams to the Grandes Écoles. 1
