The Lycée Chaptal, formerly the Collège Chaptal, is a large secondary school in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, named after Jean-Antoine Chaptal, with about 2,000 pupils. It was taken over by the City of Paris in 1848 after the founder ran into financial difficulties. The pupils were expected to go on to careers in commerce or manufacturing. The curriculum was innovative for its day, with emphasis on French rather than classical studies, and on modern languages and science. At the first it was primarily a boys' boarding school, but it is now a co-educational day school. The present buildings were completed in 1876. Notable alumni include Alfred Dreyfus, André Breton, Jean Anouilh, Daniel Hechter and Nicolas Sarkozy.
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Foundation
Prosper Goubaux (1795–1858), a writer and professor of the University of Paris, had founded the Pension Saint-Victor in 1844. It provided board and lodging for students at the Collège Bourbon.
Goubaux saw growth in industry, commerce, agriculture and applied sciences, and saw that parents wanted their children to be prepared for these occupations through special studies.
However, contemporary state education ignored these needs and was solely concerned with classical literary studies.
Goubaux wanted to create a college for the sons of the prosperous middle classes, from whom would come the heads of the great commercial and industrial enterprises.
It would teach boys to understand their times, and to appreciate the great achievements of modern civilization, while also being aware of literature and the arts.
The idea of vocational education, and of replacing study of the classics with courses in French, modern languages and science, was revolutionary.
At the time, most learned men thought that a classical education gave a solid, moral basis.
Without it the only end in life would be to make money.
Goubaux asserted that models of virtue and heroism could be found outside the poems of Virgil and Homer, and that the study of science and of all of creation was more valuable than the study of Livy or Tacitus. In France, surely public education should also include the study of France, the French language and French literature.
Abel-François Villemain, the Minister of Education, said "A French college in France, never!"
The city of Paris proved more open than the state to the ideas advanced by Goubaux, and allowed him to open the establishment called at first the École municipale Francois Ier, changed to Collège Chaptal in 1848.
Courses began on 7 October 1844. The school was supervised by a board composed of the director, Prosper Gobaux, and six members of the municipal council.
It was located on a site between the Rue Blanche and Rue de Clichy.
The school did not conform to the normal pattern of state schools. In its lower, or preparatory classes it gave elementary primary education.
In its middle classes it gave advanced primary education, and in its upper classes it gave scientific secondary education.
There were also elements of classical secondary education, since it gave some Latin classes.
History
Goubaux ran into debt when a partner absconded with the school's funds.
In 1848 he persuaded the City of Paris to take over responsibility for the school, while he continued as director.
The study of Latin was introduced in 1850. That year the 6th year program was introduced, designed to prepare students for entry to the grandes écoles such as the École Polytechnique, École Centrale Paris and École des Mines de Paris. Subjects included technology, industrial economy, law and administration.
In 1853 the courses were codified and defined in detail.
Latin was definitely established in 1853 to meet the needs of the baccalauréat of sciences.
Pupils were required to study that language if they wanted to continue beyond the fourth year.
Goubaux died in 1858 and was succeeded by M. Moujean, who directed the college until 1887.
It was during his tenure that Chaptal became firmly established as one of the leading public educational establishments in France.
By 1867 the school had 1,055 pupils.
In 1868 the educationalist Matthew Arnold wrote that the college had 1,000 scholars, of whom 600 were boarders and paid £40 per year.
It was one of the two great municipal schools of Paris, the other being the École Turgot.
The École Turgot was a day school, mainly for the sons of small tradespeople, while the Collège Chaptal served children of more prosperous parents.
Building
Eugène Train designed a complex with three colleges – lower, middle and high – each arranged round a court.
The colleges had separate entrances on the Boulevard des Batignolles, Rue de Rome and Rue Andrieux, and each had its own classrooms, study rooms and one or more amphitheaters.
The colleges were connected by covered galleries to shared facilities in the center including the refectory, gymnasium, drawing rooms and lecture halls for physics and chemistry.
The facade on the Boulevard des Batignolles included the administrative offices.
The buildings were modern, with radiators for heating, ventilation, water tanks and gas lighting.
Giandomenico Facchina contributed mosaics.
The facade on the Boulevard des Batignolles combines Romanesque and the Renaissance elements.
It is over 100 metres (330 ft) in length, flanked by square towers,
The decor includes multi-colored geometric brick patterns, serrated cornices, wrought iron work and carved reliefs representing Trade, Industry, Science and Art.
The pediment of the main entrance is crowned by a bust of Athena.
The design was not a complete break from the barracks-style schools of the period, but Train had tried to make it more welcoming and modern.
The finished building was praised for its design and appearance, and for achieving good quality at low cost.
Rankings
For the years 2008 to 2014 the lycée ranked 8th out of 109 at the departmental level in terms of quality of education, and 106th at the national level.
In 2015 L'Étudiant gave the following rankings compared to selected schools for the 2014 course: