The
École normale supérieure (; also known as
Normale sup’,
ENS Ulm,
ENS Paris and most often just as
ENS) is a
French grande école (higher education establishment outside the framework of the public university system). It was initially conceived during the
French Revolution and was intended to provide the
Republic with a new body of
professors, trained in the critical spirit and secular values of
the Enlightenment. It has since developed into an elite institution which has become a platform for many of France's brightest young people to pursue high-level careers in government and academia, and as such stands as one of the symbols of Republican meritocracy, along with
École nationale d'administration and
École Polytechnique ("X"), offering its alumni access to high positions within the state. Founded in 1794 and reorganized by
Napoleon, ENS has two main sections (literary and scientific) and a highly competitive selection process consisting of written and oral examinations. Its students excel in the fields of culture, academic research in the sciences and humanities. During their studies, ENS students hold the status of paid civil servants.