Université de France

The University of France (French: Université de France; originally the Imperial University of France) was a highly centralized educational state organization founded by Napoleon I in 1808 and given authority not only over the individual (previously independent) universities but also over primary and secondary education. The former individual universities were henceforth to be known as "academies" (such as the Académie de Paris), but each still retained a rector and local board of its own.

On 15 September 1793, petitioned by the Department of Paris and several other departments, the National Convention decided that, independently of the primary schools,

there shall be established in the Republic three progressive degrees of instruction; the first for the knowledge indispensable to artisans and workmen of all kinds; the second for further knowledge necessary to those intending to embrace the other professions of society; and the third for those branches of instruction the study of which is not within the reach of all men.

The decree of March 17, 1808 set out the operation of the University. The University would provide all levels of education, and no one could teach without the permission of the Grand Master, part of the University. The text provided six schools managed: the faculties (theology, law, medicine, humanities, sciences), schools, colleges, institutions, residential schools and "small schools" (primary).

Schools of law and medicine created at the end of the Revolution were integrated into the University, as were theological education, literature and science. The decree established the general organisation of these teachings, degrees (three types: bachelor, license, and PhD) and examinations. As for schools, the text established several types of education officials, fourteen of directors and five of teaching. In particular, it set the qualifications to be part of different ranks.

The Imperial Decree of 17 March 1808, which determined the organisation of the university, established in Paris a boarding normal school (now the École Normale Supérieure in rue d'Ulm) for training up to 300 young people in the art of teaching the humanities and sciences. The number of students was set at 100 for the first year: they were to be under 17 years of age and allowed by their father or guardian to follow the career of the University. They could not be received at school and pledged to stay at least ten years in the teaching profession. They were chosen according to tests by the inspectors general of the University. A first cohort of 54 students was selected from the departments, was made by Mgr. the Grand Master of the Imperial University.

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