Educational disparities in Seine-Saint-Denis

A report by the Institute of Public Policies (IPP), published on October 14, highlights significant educational disparities in Seine-Saint-Denis, where nearly 6 out of 10 general and technological high schools are among the most disadvantaged institutions, compared to 8% at the national level. The report notes that the social composition of high schools in the department is very far from the national average, with 59% of general and technological high schools falling into type 1, the most disadvantaged according to the social position index, against 8% nationally. This is the case for all vocational high schools, against 69% nationally.

Vocational education and student distribution

The report, requested and funded by the Seine-Saint-Denis Departmental Council, indicates that one third of students in the department follow the vocational track, which is two points higher than the national average. Out of the 35 sectors in the department, 23 have only one priority 1 high school, which concerns 53% of young people aged 11 to 17. Only the sector of Montreuil offers four priority 1 high schools, including two in Vincennes, in the Val-de-Marne.

School zoning and pedagogical options

The zoning of high schools can also lengthen students' travel times: in some areas, often at the municipal borders, the closest sector high school is clearly further away than the closest high school. The pedagogical offer varies significantly, with only eight of the thirteen most followed doublets of specializations in the general final year offered in the L'Île-Saint-Denis sector, and only 37% of young people having access to the thirteen. In the technological track, the most common situation is access to two series out of seven, and a sector offers none.

Post-baccalaureate inequalities

After the baccalaureate, inequalities persist: 82% of young people have a sector high school equipped with a technical staff section, but only 28% can access a high school offering a preparatory class for grandes écoles. In the north and west of the department, the sectors only have type 1 high schools, which concerns more than half of the students (56%). The southeast is an exception, with schools mainly of types 2 to 4.

Training accessibility and regional differences

For the second vocational and CAP, the assignment does not have a geographical priority within the Créteil academy, making the accessible offer depend mainly on the transport network. Young people from the northwest and east have access to much fewer training programs within 30 minutes of their homes than those from the west, where the areas around Bobigny and Pantin concentrate the widest offer. In total, 70% of young people in the department have access to only five CAP specializations or less.

Parisian advantages and regional contrasts

In the general and technological track, all Parisian young people have five sector high schools, access to the thirteen doublets, and a high school with a preparatory class. Access to at least one type 5 high school, the most favored, concerns 100% of Parisian young people, 76% in the Hauts-de-Seine, and 31% in the Val-de-Marne, against 6% in Seine-Saint-Denis.

Future possibilities and limitations of the report

The report suggests that the Grand Paris Express, expected to be completed by 2031, could reduce some disparities, and a revision of the training map would be a complementary lever. In the general and technological track, the authors of the report note that with the transport network unchanged, there is a real margin of maneuver in the sector division. However, the authors note the limits of their analysis, which is restricted to priority 1 high schools and public education, and only to open data. A complete diagnosis would require access to the wishes expressed in Affelnet, the assignment scale, the assigned placements, and the reception capacities.