This paper explores how a specific organization of the school system, like the French one, taken as an example (supposed to be valid for many other such kinds of systems), reacts in the contemporary context of postmodernism and globalization. The main question is: is there an unavoidable dissolution of the specific patterns due to the alleged crisis of school or is a renaissance on a new basis possible? Four steps give its rhythm to the text: the notion of educational policy; the crisis of school institution; the temporary "solutions"; some tracks for the future.
School institution; National exception; Crisis; Educational policies; Postmodernism