École 42 is a programming school that offers computer training completely free and open to all those between the ages of 18 and 30.
Do you know École 42? It’s a free university with no professors, no fees, and no curriculum, created by a committed billionaire who wants to reinvent education for the future. It has a center located in Paris (France) and another in Silicon Valley (United States).
Both have been created – and paid for out of his pocket – by the mastermind of this initiative: the Frenchman Xavier Niel, accompanied by Florian Bucher, Nicolas Sadirac and Kwame Yamgnane. Its purpose: to be part of the renewal and change of the educational system. “This is our answer to what the school of tomorrow should be,” they say.
École 42 is a programming school that offers computer training completely free and open to all those between the ages of 18 and 30. Its pedagogy is based on peer-to-peer learning: a participatory process that allows students to unleash their creativity through projects.
“We are more than a disruptive educational model or a programming school. What makes us unique are the defining characteristics of our culture and every element of it: from the students to the structure and content of the curriculum, to the tuition fee – 0 euros – and the innovative admission process,” they say of themselves. What drives them: the pursuit of excellence, innovation and questioning, creativity and passion, commitment to the community and belief in open opportunities.
Of course, the school admits students of any gender, religion, race, color, and origin—national or ethnic—and access to all privileges, programs, and activities. Age parameters (18 to 30 years) are the only requirement. No qualifications or diplomas of high school are required, nor are any university or non-university degrees. Nor is information asked about the candidate’s ethnicity, work experience, or extracurricular activities. Their system is based, they say, solely on merit.
