Région Sud rewards baccalaureate excellence

In July, the Région celebrated the graduates who received "Très bien" honors for the class of 2026 at the lycée Rouvière in Toulon, during a ceremony bringing together nearly 700 people, including students, parents, and educational teams.

Alongside François de Canson, vice-president of the Région Sud, were Natacha Chicot, rector of the académie de Nice, Marie Florence Bulteau Rambau, vice-president in charge of education and WorldSkills France, Ludovic Perney, vice-president in charge of youth and student life, Claude Alemagna, president of the high schools and orientation commission, as well as Nicolas Rougier, principal of the lycée Rouvière.

An ambitious educational policy

For several years, the Région has committed to an ambitious educational policy: building renovations, modernization of boarding schools, massive deployment of digital technology, creation of technical facilities for professional and technological fields, strengthening of security, and increased support for high school life.

This dynamic is based on a culture of expertise and standards supported by WorldSkills France, on the importance of sports in the balance of young people, on the role of orientation commissions, and on a firm desire to offer every high school student optimal learning conditions.

The interview with François de Canson

To what extent have these investments contributed to the excellent results we are celebrating today?

The Région is dedicating €1.2 billion to high schools by 2028, and this profoundly changes study conditions. We have renovated buildings, modernized boarding schools, deployed digital technology, and equipped technical facilities. All of this creates an environment where students can work in excellent conditions.

The results, which we are celebrating today, are not only explained by investments. They are also the fruit of a generation that wants to succeed, that commits, and that works. In the region, 46,000 high school students obtained their baccalaureate, including 5,800 with "Très Bien" honors and 2,200 in the académie de Nice.

This success is collective: the students, families, and teachers. A teacher's word can change a life. Merit, in a society that sometimes loses its way, deserves to be recognized and encouraged.

Education is at the heart of regional priorities. How is this strategy implemented in high schools?

We wanted every high school student to study under optimal conditions: renovated premises, high-performance digital equipment, paid-for textbooks, free tablets, and easier travel with the Pass ZOU Etudes!

In total, nearly €2,300 of purchasing power has been preserved for families. Creating the conditions for success is our responsibility as a public authority.

The €300 grant awarded to "Très Bien" honors is a strong gesture. What message do you wish to convey?

This grant is above all symbolic. It says that work, effort, and perseverance are values for the future. It is a way of telling them: "You worked, you persevered, you are rewarded." In a Republic, merit must be recognized.

This class of 2026 shows a committed and ambitious youth in Var. How is the Région supporting this dynamic?

We support them throughout their schooling. Today, more than 300 high school students traveled for this ceremony, accompanied by their families, making nearly 700 people. This enthusiasm proves that the Région is on the right track. What we offer to high school students had never been proposed before. I am happy to see so many young people and families gathered to celebrate their success.

Many graduates are going to make decisive choices. What role can the Région play to support them?

We created the OIR, the Opérations d’Intérêt Régional, to help young people identify recruiting professions and sectors where needs are greatest. It is an essential tool to show them the high-demand sectors: engineering, manual trades, industry, tourism.

Defense, for example, is a sector that recruits massively. The Minister of the Armed Forces was recently in Toulon, which recalls the strategic importance of this territory and the considerable needs of the Defense industry, with 10,000 engineering positions to be filled.

The orientation truck allows everyone to discover careers and find their way. Our role is to support them so they become happy citizens, because success makes you happy.

Some talents leave the region for their studies. How can we encourage them to stay or return?

We live in a territory blessed by the gods, an exceptional region. Many wish to stay here. To do this, we must attract businesses, and we are succeeding. But these businesses need motivated young people. There are skills deficits in all sectors: tourism, defense, industry. Our role is to match business needs with student aspirations. If we succeed in doing this, we will have succeeded.

What do you want to say to the families who see their children rewarded?

I want to tell them "congratulations." They accompanied their children, sometimes in moments of doubt, sometimes in difficult moments. Today, a new life begins for these young people. The families have walked part of the way with them. Now, it is up to them to take flight.

As a man, what do you feel with this rewarded graduating class?

Arriving here, I got chills. Seeing 300 young people who obtained "Très Bien" honors is exceptional! They worked, they persevered. I am happy, along with my colleagues from the Région and the principals, to be able to reward them.

Why did you choose the lycée Rouvière to host this event?

Because there is an exemplary principal here, an exceptional site, and because here, it is the Sud.

A collective success

This ceremony, beyond numbers and distinctions, recalled an essential truth: success is individual, but the path is always collective. The students, families, teachers, educational teams, and institutions together built this remarkable class.

The Région, by investing massively in its high schools and valuing merit, asserts a strong conviction: high standards, hard work, and perseverance are values for the future.