The Lycée Molière is a , established in 1888, comprising both a collège and a lycée. It is located at 71, in Paris, in the 16th arrondissement and is named after the French playwright Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known as Molière (1622–1673).
Historically, the lycée was the third in the capital. Built by the architect Émile Vaudremer, it opened its doors on , with 48 students. Initially intended to provide intellectual education to young women in western Paris, it became a space for promoting female emancipation and helped train part of the French female elite in the early 20th century.
The establishment became coeducational in 1973. It now prepares students for the brevet, the baccalauréat, and competitive entrance exams for classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles. Today, it has over students.
History
Beginning
Background and foundation
Under the French Third Republic, in 1880, the Camille Sée law authorized girls to receive secondary education, leading to the creation of girls’ lycées. Lycée Molière was one of the first 23 such institutions established in France. Despite initial hesitation over implementing the law, progress followed: in 1882, Minister of Public Instruction Paul Bert instructed rectors to allocate funds for new schools, and by 1884, a budget of 900,000 francs was approved for the construction of what would become Lycée Molière—the third girls’ lycée in Paris, after Lycée Fénelon (1883) and Lycée Racine (1886).
Unlike its predecessors, the new lycée was built in the then sparsely populated 16th arrondissement, an area of private residences and large gardens. Its location, chosen for its healthy and open environment near the Bois de Boulogne, was part of the former eight-hectare park of the (also known as Château de la Tuilerie), dismantled in 1826. The school was intended as the female counterpart to the Lycée Janson-de-Sailly, established nearby in 1881 for boys.Designed by architect Émile Vaudremer (also responsible for the Lycée Buffon in the 15th arrondissement), construction of the lycée took place between 1886 and 1888, at a cost of 1,720,000 francs. The school officially opened on 8 October 1888, with Minister of Public Instruction Édouard Lockroy and academy rector Octave Gréard in attendance. Enrollment had begun on 3 September. A commemorative mosaic plaque marks the dates of its construction and inauguration. While the establishment of the lycée met little opposition, the choice of the name Molière drew some criticism. Columnist Henri Becque, writing in Le Figaro, questioned the appropriateness of naming a girls’ school after a playwright known for satirical portrayals of women.
Nonetheless, the inauguration was positively covered by the press, including Le Temps and Le Soleil. A student at the time described the building as “a beautiful, brand-new lycée, with a solemn yet welcoming parlor, vast corridors, [and] wide-open galleries, dispelling any notion of a prison". However, the new public institution also faced competition from longstanding private schools in the area, such as the Dames de l’Assomption.
Operation
Administration and teaching staff At its founding, the Lycée Molière included both preparatory (primary) and secondary courses. It opened with 48 students, though it was designed to accommodate up to 350, including 175 half-boarders. Mlle Henriette Stoude, a graduate in letters and among the first women to pass the agrégation (1883), was appointed principal in accordance with legal requirements that girls' lycées be headed by women. Unlike boys’ lycées, the school initially lacked a general supervisor. A housekeeper assisted the principal, who also taught a course on moral instruction. Once enrollment exceeded 100 students, a general supervisor was appointed.
The teaching staff was composed of women who had passed competitive examinations. Those with the agrégation, typically graduates of the École normale supérieure de jeunes filles in Sèvres (founded in 1881), held the title of professor. Others, certified or licensed, were designated as course instructors, particularly at the collège level. Parents met with teachers biweekly. According to 1890 ministerial instructions, teachers were expected not only to instruct in their subject area but also to cultivate reflective, honest, and civic-minded students. Among the first teachers were Mlles. Leroux, Dugard, Aaron, and Tolmer (French); Mlle. Flobert (history); Mlle. Margaret Scott and Mme. Bickart (English); Mlle. Schach (German); Mme. Ficquet (mathematics); Mme. Mallet (physical sciences); Mme. Jobet-Duval (gymnastics); Mlle. Moria (drawing); and Mme. Mansoy (music). Preparatory classes were taught by Mmes. Armagnat, Brouin, and Turpin. In the early years, due to the limited number of trained women, male teachers such as M. Pelissier and M. Gohin (Latin) also taught at the school, coming from the nearby Lycée Janson-de-Sailly. Some teachers gained particular recognition. Mlle. Bérillon published a book based on her pedagogical work; Mlle. Moria, a visual arts teacher, wore a toga on occasion and won a silver medal at the 1924 Salon des artistes français, and Mme. Ficquet organized astronomy evenings using a telescope installed at the lycée.
Courses The curriculum was divided into preparatory (primary) and secondary cycles. The preparatory section included four years for students aged 7 to 12, with subjects such as history and foreign languages (English and German) offered to advanced pupils. From 1914, boys were admitted to these classes if they had a sister enrolled. The secondary cycle covered five years, typically for ages 12 to 17—one year shorter than the equivalent boys' lycée program. Exams were held annually, with a certificate of secondary studies awarded in the third year and a diploma of secondary studies in the fifth. This diploma allowed graduates to become primary school teachers or private tutors. All subjects were mandatory for the first three years, with optional courses introduced in the final two. Subjects included French literature and language; two foreign languages (selected from English, German, Spanish, and Italian); history; Latin and Greek translation; mathematics; physical and natural sciences; moral instruction; basic law; sewing; and gymnastics. Students could pursue a literary or scientific track, though the overall workload was lighter than that in boys' lycées, in line with ministry guidelines.
While the girls’ lycée structure was inspired by boys' institutions, the intent was not to replicate them. An 1881 commission emphasized that the final examination should not resemble the baccalauréat, which was not initially offered to female students. As noted by historian Marie-Louise Rançon, early girls’ lycées aimed to provide a broad, disinterested education, without a strict focus on exams or competitive entrance. The state sought to educate future wives of civil servants through secular institutions, as an alternative to religious schools. The curriculum was revised throughout the 1890s. Drawing and music theory, for example, became optional. Over time, the educational structure evolved into: Enfantine II and I (elementary), followed by three years of preparatory classes and six years of secondary education, including optional final-year classes in philosophy or mathematics. The class naming system was inverted compared to boys' lycées: instead of progressing from sixième to terminale, students advanced from première to sixième, with the final year optional.
School life and discipline
The Lycée Molière offered two types of regimes: a standard day school schedule (8:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.) and a supervised day school regime with additional study hours (10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.), both subject to fees, except for the daughters of civil servants. Curricula developed by Octave Gréard remained cautious, aiming to preserve students’ health and allow time for domestic and social duties.
Jewish students were exempt from written work on Saturdays, and classes were not held on Thursdays, as was common at the time. Each class had a dedicated classroom, study room, and cloakroom. Most students arrived by public transport, accompanied by maids, and could not leave without written parental permission. Classrooms for younger students were on the ground floor, while older students were taught upstairs. The gymnasium was located at the rear of the courtyard. Ceremonies and charity events were held either in the school’s large rooms or the principal’s courtyard. Discipline was strict. A student recalled being expected to greet the principal with proper decorum and dress neatly, including wearing gloves and buttoned coats. This rigor was intended to protect the school’s reputation at a time when girls’ lycées faced public scrutiny. Students wore black aprons, and mirrors were avoided to discourage vanity.
Impact of courses and female emancipation
The Lycée Molière prioritized intellectual development over vocational training. As principal Mlle Stoude stated: “We have only taught you how to learn". The curriculum, focused on history and literature, provided broad but non-specialized cultural education.
According to historian Marie-Louise Rançon, the aim was to cultivate intelligent, cultured women, without replicating the model of boys' lycées. However, the lycée also fostered new aspirations. One student described it as “a symbol of emancipation and a breeding ground for new aspirations", while another emphasized the lasting influence of teachers who encouraged continued intellectual activity.
The lycée contributed significantly to women's access to higher education. Several alumnae pursued academic and professional paths traditionally closed to women. Jeanne Debat-Ponsan passed the medical agrégation; Marie Dujardin-Beaumetz earned a doctorate in natural sciences (1911); and Madeleine Dalmeyda passed the letters agrégation (1916). Other former students succeeded in competitive exams in history, mathematics, law, and science throughout the early 20th century. Notably, Louise Weiss earned the letters agrégation in 1914.
Early 20th century to World War I
Evolution of student population and course organization
Following curriculum stabilization in 1897 and a broader enrollment of girls, student numbers at Lycée Molière grew from 48 in 1888 to 244 by 1896. Growth then stagnated due to transport limitations, but resumed after 1905 with the closure of religious schools and increased urbanization. By 1913, enrollment reached 573. That same year, six students presented for the baccalauréat—all passed. A sixth-year philosophy course had been added unofficially in 1912 to support academic aspirations, though some classes (like Latin) remained fee-based when taught by outside instructors.
The Republican education model introduced bi-monthly report cards, honor rolls, and end-of-trimester prize ceremonies. In 1915, new electrical systems allowed full science courses. Discipline remained strict but effective—between 1902 and 1922, only two expulsions were recorded. Charitable activities were prominent, led by English teacher Mlle. Scott, including clothing drives, events for underprivileged children, and tuition support for disadvantaged students. These efforts declined after World War II.
Boarding school projects and modernization Though boarding was not originally permitted under the 1880 education law, a small residence was established in 1912 at 28 Rue de l’Assomption, under Henriette Martin-Le Dieu. Chaplaincies for Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish students were introduced around 1900. The lycée gained telephone access and maintained a student choir that performed annually at the Sorbonne. Students were vaccinated yearly against smallpox—using vaccine material collected on site.
World War I