Minister of Higher Education Philippe Baptiste has said that the role of the baccalauréat, a French academic qualification obtained at the end of secondary school, "must be discussed." This comes after a recent senatorial report suggested ending the automatic right of baccalauréat holders to enter higher education. Baptiste reiterated this view during an interview on Public Sénat on September 10, stating that the topic should be a key point of debate during the upcoming presidential election. He pointed out that a large percentage of students who have completed the baccalauréat continue their studies, but many are not adequately prepared for university-level work. This has led to high failure rates in bachelor’s degree programs. Baptiste argued that universities are being asked to handle students with a wide range of abilities and backgrounds, which is placing an unsustainable burden on the system. He specifically highlighted vocational baccalauréat holders, who, according to the public education statistics service, had only a 4.9% enrollment rate in universities in 2024, and 46.8% in higher education across all disciplines. In response to these challenges, Baptiste proposed the idea of "post-baccalaureat catch-up years," which would allow some students to improve their skills before entering university. He also expressed strong opposition to raising university tuition fees for all students. Instead, he suggested two alternatives: a significant increase in state funding for higher education or a system where students contribute based on their income. Baptiste also supported reforming the scholarship system to eliminate different tiers of financial aid, which he said would cost about 400 million euros annually. He emphasized that such reform is essential and should be implemented in the future to ensure fair access to higher education for all students.