- Let's get started. - Sir!
Souleymane has photos for his portrait.
Cut it out, my photos are crap.
That's a good idea.
Get your own!
Painters do self-portraits.
I'm no painter.
Yes, I know that. Let's go.
Caps, please.
I spend all my free time playing the guitar.
If you're typing, hurry and finish to let the others
type up their self-portraits.
Don't blow the place up!
- It's ok. - You know what you're doing?
As a computer genius, you'll put it all back after.
Don't worry.
I'm counting on you.
Ok, Carl?
Yes, sir.
- I can't see it? - No, not yet.
How do you spell Lafayette?
How do you mean?
Like Galeries Lafayette.
Why mention that?
I go there often so I want to add it.
Wow! That's four metro stops.
A huge leap from your neighborhood.
- We're not hicks! - We're city kids!
Really?
You go into the center of Paris?
I go everywhere. The 1st, the 5th, the 20th, the 12th, the 19th...
Why do you go to the 5th?
In the 5th, I go to see pals in high school.
Near Luxembourg.
The Luxembourg gardens?
Not the gardens, Luxembourg.
The country?
No, the Luxembourg metro station!
So you do get out and about.
I see you two have made up.
- It's our business. - And not yours.
So, how do you spell Lafayette?
Lafayette is
L-A-F-A-Y-E-T-T-E.
With a capital.
Much better now!
Much better.
Yes, that is a good photo.
- You could add a legend. - A legend?
Like a story or a tale.
A caption under the photo like in papers.
You mean, like in Le Parisien?
Yes, like in Le Parisien.
What could you put? Who is she?
My old woman.
- Meaning? - My mother.
You could say she's your mother.
Then you could explain
Why she's making this gesture to the photographer.
They'd pissed her off.
I'm not gonna write that!
So why is she doing that?
She hates photos.
So write that.
"My mother hates having her photo taken."
That's a legend.
Understand?
Do that with all the photos and you're set.
I'm 5 foot 6 and I can get really mad
- Printed everything? - Yeah, I'm good.
Excellent.
What are you doing now, sir?
As you can see,
I'm putting the photos up
to get a global view.
The others read out their self-portraits,
so you're going to put yours
on show.
You know my photos suck.
Not at all, they're very good.
Sure...
When a student does good work, I let the whole class see it.
You're just winding me up.
No, I wind you up if I feel
you can do better. This is good.
That's bullshit.
If you've finished,
come and take a look at Souleymane's masterpiece.
Slowly.
I'll straighten them.
Look at the tattoo!
You're hideous!
I like playing soccer.
I like playing computer games.
I like playing with pretty girls.
I like vacations in the Caribbean.
I like fries, zouk and dancehall music.
I like watching MTV Base
and I like my parents and my brother.
I like my pals and staying up all night.
I like the series on the slave trade.
I like my 'hood.
I like the series "Homeland Security".
I like eating in restaurants and going wild.
I hate people crying for no reason.
I hate techno and tectonic.
I hate guys and girls who show off.
I hate visiting my brother in jail.
I hate talent contest shows on TV.
I hate politicians,
the war in Iraq,
Goths and skaters.
I hate teachers who are too strict.
I hate mathematics, racists
and I hate Materazzi.
I hated the Paul Eluard school
and I like being here.
I have something to say.
Could you listen to me, please?
I have something to say.
The mother of Wey, a student in 4/3, has been arrested.
She was in France illegally.
She has been picked up and may be tried next week.
She may be deported to China. I thought you should know
as it's important.
She's been here 3 years now!
I know
but that's how it goes, Wrong place, wrong time.
Not the father?
He doesn't have papers either but they don't bother him.
To start with, as lawyers cost a lot,
We could do a collection
and maybe even go to court
to try to have some influence on the verdict.
Will Wey have to leave?
Not for now but you never know.
Well,
I feel kind of pathetic after that.
I had something to tell you, but this isn't a good time.
You've said too much now!
I'm pregnant.
That calls for a celebration!
How far gone?
Two months. I'll only have a drop.
Just a drop.
Bravo, Vincent!
- He's an expert! - I didn't do it on purpose!
Who shook it?
Any names yet?
If it's a boy, say?
If it's a boy, I like Enguerran.
- Enguerran? - Yes!
Seriously?
What a handicap! That won't be easy.
I hope not. Thanks a lot!
You all have a glass?
Hold on a second...
Right,
I have two wishes.
My first wish
is that Wey's mom stays in France.
And my second wish
is that my child will be as intelligent as Wey.
Jackie Chan!
C'mon, play.
I didn't do nothing!
He just fell!
Play, Souleymane!
What do you say, Mali man?
What's up, you Caribbean shit?
Motherfucker!
C'mon, let's play.
I'll waste the fucker!
Caribbean fag!
Blow Thierry Henri!
Stand there. Talk loud enough for them to hear
and try to convince them. Go ahead.
The Africa Cup of Nations will be starting soon.
I'm glad Morocco's playing.
It's the best team in the world in my opinion.
The sick thing is that my pals, the Malians, aren't playing.
It's tough for them.
They weren't good enough to qualify.
Morocco would have let them play on a friendly basis
but 4-0 really hurts.
4-0 how?
Last time Mali played Morocco,
they wasted them 4-0.
But the weird thing is
When Mali doesn't play,
it's like all the Africans here
aren't African.
With each cup, they all go crazy
but when Mali doesn't play, they keep a low profile.
Weird.
So, whether Mali plays in the Africa Cup of Nations or not,
the Africans in this class feel more or less African. Ok.
Thank you, Nassim.
I get the feeling your words are directed
at your neighbor, Souleymane.
Morocco jerk's not even on my radar.
Arthur is next.
I see you have your notes,
just like a politician.
That's good.
Speak up, Arthur. Esmeralda, let him speak first.
I want to defend my look.
A lot of people say it sucks.
I don't dis your clothes,
so you don't dis mine.
Clothes are freedom of speech.
I dress how I want,
you dress how you want, ok.
I dress like this to be different and not follow the others like sheep.
You're the sheep here!
I feel better being myself
and not being like others.
I also think if there were 22 Goths here
and one guy like you, you'd keep quiet then.
There's a contradiction in what you say.
You want to be you. Are those clothes you?
Those clothes are worn by a huge number of people.
Most people who wear them are gloomy inside
so we're all kind of alike.
You're all alike, you're all gloomy, so that's not you.
By being different.
You're different and the same.
Thank you for taking a stand
and being brave enough to do so.
Boubacar, go on.
Boubacar, my pal!
Listen to him.
I've come up to reply to Nassim.
He says that since Mali isn't in the Africa Cup of Nations,
black Africans have no team to support.
But he's forgetting Ivory Coast.
With an ace player, Didier Drogba.
He beats any Moroccan.
He plays for Chelsea.
What Moroccan plays in England?
They're not up to it.
- I'm through. - Thanks, Boubacar.
I think that rectification was indeed...
indispensable.
Who wants to speak now?
Carl, go on.
Actually, I'd like to say
they're starting to piss us off with the Africa Cup.
At recess you're there, pissing us off with your cup.
It hasn't even started yet...
Carl, I'll be polite with you.
Sorry to interrupt, but tell me, What's your national team?
France.
Why do you say you're Caribbean rather than French?
We're French.
It's a French region.
Why don't you ever say you're French?
- It's the same. - I don't think so.
Look at the players. Thierry Henri, Wiltord, Abidal, Thuram...
Where does Diarra play?
He won't play in Mali, bro, he's not crazy enough.
Shut your mouth, pal, I'm not your bro!
An ape like this jerk...
No need to lose your cool.
New and already the big shot.
We can talk calmly!
This isn't a slanging match.
It's a debate.
Souleymane, watch your language.
He's fuming!
Clam up. Go get fucked!
No vulgarity!
- I ain't talking to you, man! - I'm talking to you!
Is that any way to talk to a teacher?
That's enough now.
You're coming with me.
I'm talking to you!
Don't start yelling at me, ok.
I'll get you, faggot.
You just can't talk normally?
Nobody else moves.
Hurry it up!
- Move it! - Hands off!
Aren't you sick of assing around?
Sorry to bother you.
I have a troublemaker who's been disrespectful in class.
I didn't ask you to sit down.
My class is waiting.
I'll see to this.
Sit down now.
I'm listening.
Will you tell me what happened?
A teacher should have to leave his class to bring you here?
"Results...
"too uneven...
"Too much talking in class."
Now let's move on to Louise,
present here today.
A total disaster. What can we do with you?
No, good work.
Always good, I'd say.
It's a joy having a student like her. We need to say it.
Shall we offer this young lady a commendation?
I'm sorry, but I don't totally agree with you.
She's relatively well-placed in the class from a numerical angle.
But a commendation?
There's room for progress, huge room for progress
and I don't think her general attitude
really merits a commendation.
That's the problem with commendations. Are they purely numerical
and mathematical or are they also to do
With her attitude and behavior as top of the class?
That means, to get a commendation,
you have to be an excellent student
and, at the same time, be a class leader?
So a commendation this term.
Louise is intelligent and will realize she can do better to satisfy
Now, Cherif.
Our friend Cherif.
I have a problem with Cherif.
He's a kid with abilities, he could do well.
I could easily give him 17/20
but he spends so much time talking and disturbing the class,
his average grade is poor. And that's a pity.
His behavior's irregular. He can be a disaster
and you can't do a thing with him
or he can be really good.
What does Cherif get?
A warning about his work or his behavior?
For me, behavior, not work.
In my class, it's more his work.
It's more like a work problem looking at his grades.
Mathematics: 6.
French: 8.
History and geography: 9.
English: 9.5...
Excuse me.
Science: 12. Music: 11.
His grades are pretty low but it seems to be a behavior problem.
Why don't we put that for now and say he can work harder?
So I'll put "Cherif
"can succeed as long as
"his attitude changes
"in relation to his work."
Let's move on to Souleymane.
Souleymane... Someone else can start.
What do we say?
Nothing good.
What else?
We already discussed him in the first term.
We said it all. He has huge weaknesses, notably in written French.
I don't think there's anything
particularly new
this term.
Feeling better, Esmeralda?
I didn't know being class rep was such fun.
We were talking about Souleymane.
In relation to what François just said,
he forgot his things most of the time this term
and didn't do much.
It's not just that, it's way beyond that.
He's more and more unruly. He prevents the others from working.
Can I say something?
If you put the biscuits away. Remember, you aren't allowed
to eat in a classroom.
Well, his overall grade has gone from 6.75 to 7.25...
So...
We're not discussing his grades but his behavior for now.
I have the impression
We need to consider disciplinary action.
His attitude's wrong.
It's simple. Every other class, I throw him out.
I don't even throw him out anymore.
He's only too happy when I do.
I don't think disciplinary action will help
because things will get really bad then.
They're already really bad. It's gone too far.
It's like he's mad at the others for being normal.
I'll remind you, Mr. Marin, you brought him to me yesterday.
Yes, but it was this year's first incident.
He was disrespectful, I set a limit.
I did what I did but I don't think
it will go any further than that.
I don't have any real complaints,
apart from yesterday.
Our job isn't to make sure
students sit quietly at the back and don't cause any trouble.
We have to bring them out.
I won't do that with threats or punishment.
I'd rather stress his good work. Some things interest him.
He can come out with some pretty good stuff.
Simply because he does something positive now and then,
We let him sink and wallow in his hole
and we do nothing.
You just want to buy social harmony.
That said,
What do we say? What do we do? A warning?
I don't think a warning's what he needs.
Maybe we should say he has reached his limit
because he's limited scholastically.
That's all well and good but I'm dim and have a line to fill.
What do we put?
It's not right saying that!
Three rhymes per verse. What do you call that?
Verses of three lines... Wey?
- A tercet. - Very good.
And four rhymes would be?
A quatrain.
From quatre, four.
Tercet, three rhymes. Quatrain, four.
How many syllables per line? Can you tell me that?
- Khoumba? - I know here are 10.
You know that?
- Want me to show you? - Yes.
- That's 10. - You say...
You have two extra syllables
by counting the mute Es.
Don't count them, they're mute.
That makes 8.
We can underline each syllable.
I'll come back to that one.
Two octosyllables and one four-syllable line.
- What is it? - 11.47, that makes...
11.5?
Is 11.47 the number of syllables here?
No, my grade. It's down!
What's that to do with poetry?
They lowered my grade! 11.47 is 11.5.
Who gave you your grade?
You shouldn't have it yet.
Esmeralda told me.
So the class reps did do something after all.
I took a load of notes!
I got the impression you weren't really following the meeting.
Louise, I'm delighted.
You've done a good job passing on information.
Let's get back to this poem.
The rule is to count in front of a consonant...
What?
I heard you really wiped me out at the meeting yesterday.
Another remark about poetry, I see.
No, it isn't.
Yes, I know it isn't about poetry.
What do you mean?
I dunno. You wiped me out.
Some people, not me, said if you carry on like this...
Some teachers said if you carry on like this,
you'll be in trouble, not "Wiped out".
That's revenge. I don't get it.
Why go for revenge?
How come it's revenge?
If you say stuff about me getting in trouble, that's revenge.
It's not revenge at all.
- You say it isn't? - Not at all!
We're not on the streets.
It's a warning.
Our goal here isn't revenge, it's discipline. Get the difference?
I don't get it.
When a judge sends someone to jail,
he doesn't do it to get revenge.
It helps society run smoothly.
You just want revenge. You're riffed with me.
All I care about is revenge?
I wake up and say
I'll get Souleymane today?
You insulted him yesterday anyhow. He really laid into you!
I did not.
What did he say, Louise?
That you were "limited". I underlined it, I was so shocked.
Me? Limited?
Brilliant...
What's your role as class reps?
You represent the students to help this class work
or you stir up trouble for me?
We just do our job.
Wicked!
We report on the meeting.
Of course.
I didn't realize.
When I saw you snigger at the meeting, I felt bad.
I felt bad for you.
It wasn't the place or time.
It didn't look very serious.
Nobody minded in any case.
- They did! - Only you.
No, it bothered me and I think it bothered the others too.
It only bothered you.
Sorry, but laughing like that made you look like two skanks.
What?
Have you just lost it?
That's a bad thing!
You can't dump on us.
The word is "insult".
You're crazy, insulting on us.
You say "dump on" or "insult".
It's either one or the other, ok.
- Yeah, keep on talking. - In fact,
I never said you were skanks.
I said that at one point in the meeting
you acted like skanks. Understand?
Don't try to con us, you said skanks.
I'm just explaining the difference.
Sir, you don't talk to girls like that!
Look who's talking! You always insult everybody!
He wants revenge on the girls!
No way! The noble knight riding to rescue act
Won't wash!
You don't talk to me, man!
Show some respect!
I will if I want!
You're heading for trouble!
Think you're tough?
- It's a question of discipline! - I'll take you anytime!
Stop playing the big shot.
Calm down!
Stay outta this!
Cut it out!
Don't touch me!
You're crazy.
I'm outta here!
You can't just walk out of my class!
Are you nuts?
- Calm down! - Let go of me!
Stop it!
- Where are you going? - Let go, fucker!
Pathetic...
Fuck...
Incident report
What do we do?
I think we need to convene the disciplinary committee.
This is starting to add up. It begins
With disrespect, then the fight, With a student injured,
and finally he leaves the class without permission.
There was only one incident and it all spread out from there.
One thing led to another, a chain reaction.
Well, what I can do is take
a protective measure since this is so serious
by suspending Souleymane for 48 hours.
That'll give us a little time to reach a decision.
Shall we do that?
However, I need to see you tomorrow.
Could you come to my office?
François!
I need a word with you.
There's a rumor going around...
A rumor?
Some students came to see me and told me...
you insulted them.
Who? Louise and Esmeralda?
They told me you called them skanks
and that led to the incident with Souleymane.
And you believe them?
That's why I needed to see you.
You didn't mention it in your incident report.
I didn't mention it. What can I say?
- Did you do it or not? - What?
Did you...
Did you call them skanks?
But Souleymane's another matter!
I know it had nothing to do with him.
But word's getting around.
People are talking. I wanted to let you know.
Thanks for letting me know.
Hey, you two.
You complained about me. Thanks a lot!
You're welcome.
You could have talked to me.
Teachers can complain about us and vice versa, right?
No, it doesn't work both ways.
What are you after?
To see you punished.
- Punished? - Yes.
You, punish me?
You insulted us, you get punished.
Where will that get you?
I'll have spoken out.
Great, that's a lot of use.
Do you know what "skank" means?
I never called you skanks!
Yes, you did. For me, skank means prostitute.
- It's not that at all. - It is.
For me, it doesn't mean that.
It's nothing important at all, just a girl laughing stupidly.
Hey, skank means prostitute, right?
You bet!
Will Souleymane get expelled?
A disciplinary hearing?
We don't know yet. It's a possibility.
Stop yelling before anything's decided.
It's all settled anyway.
Why say that?
Because it's always the same!
You're in no position to talk. You're the one who got hurt.
He didn't mean it. There was a metal thing in his bag.
In any case, he blew a fuse and that's bad.
Sir, anyone can blow a fuse.
And then calm down after.
That's not sure.
You did.
You're calmer now.
I'm not. You don't know me!
All the teachers say your attitude is perfect now.
You think you've tamed me?
No, being sent here helped you understand things, see?
It didn't help me. I don't understand your shit!
Maybe your old teachers wanted to help you
and we'll do the same for Souleymane.
I say teachers who expel students are fuckers.
Right on!
You want to repeat that?
Yeah, fuckers.
Everyone goes wild over some word I said.
You say fucker and I shouldn't react?
- They're fuckers! - Cut it out!
You say skanks,
We say fucker. It's the same thing!
They're nothing alike!
A teacher can say certain things
that students can't say. Try to understand that!
You keep talking all the time! You never stop speaking!
Whenever we talk, you yell. What is this?
Enough...
Sir!
What?
Will Souleymane get a hearing?
Give it a rest!
You sound like you want him to. It fires you up.
You know what'll happen if he's expelled?
He'll change schools.
No, he won't change schools.
It's automatic. It's obligatory. That goes for Souleymane too.
Do you know his father?
I've seen him once or twice.
If he's expelled, his dad'll send him back to their village.
Don't get overdramatic.
He'll go back to Mali!
I think we all need to keep our heads.
Don't worry.
You can't smoke here, sir.
I know, but since I was alone...
Ok, you went too far with those girls.
We all screw up.
Souleymane overreacted.
He's right. I saw Khoumba.
Her face was all bloody.
What he did is unacceptable.
That's for sure.
I know that. His bag hit her by accident.
A split eyebrow bleeds a lot. That's all.
You can't ignore it!
Don't take it to heart. Seen how they talk to us?
How's that relevant? Souleymane is going to get expelled.
That's kind of logical.
Let's talk about that.
How many hearings last year?
Twelve at least.
Not that many.
He could be right.
I know, I'm on the committee so I saw them all.
An average of two a month, twelve in all,
With an expulsion each time.
The hearing is where we talk things over.
Ok, twelve students were expelled
but maybe there was no other solution.
Twelve out of twelve,
talk about a debate!
But twelve out of twelve just means...
When a student has a hearing, it's too late.
Or it was justified.
Ok, things happen that lead to a hearing.
But then what happens?
What do we expect from a hearing?
There are prior stages:
Pre-disciplinary committees,
We inform the parents, the students are warned...
Not in this case.
We've no time.
It's pretty rare.
It's rare because we have this final punishment
that allows us to ignore the prior steps.
And even if we did use them,
the simple fact of expelling a student...
is a disavowal of everything we have tried.
Ok, but it's Souleymane's chance to justify himself.
At a hearing, you don't speak. You're scared.
- You're paralyzed. - Exactly.
Let me sum this up.
He'll get a disciplinary hearing,
he'll be expelled
and maybe even sent back to Mali.
You're being overdramatic.
No, I'm not.
Students who know him better than any of us here,
Who know his father, say that he is likely
to send him back to Mali after this.
Some are threatened
With boarding school but it never happens.
It can happen.
A lot of parents spend their time threatening their kids
With that.
You can't take it into account.
Even if there was just a slight risk
that a hearing could lead
to him being sent back, I don't think I can take that risk.
It's like when you hesitate
over punishing a kid because when he goes home,
once that door closes,
he'll get a beating from his parents. We've all seen that.
But we still have to punish them when they go too far.
Whatever the consequences, Which don't concern you.
So I ignore that? I know punishment can have such a consequence
but I turn a blind eye, is that it?
You can't take it into account in every case.
The violence, him being sent back...
True, you have to consider it but after a while...
No more Christmas presents...
It's a question of principle.
We each have a role to play.
We can't substitute ourselves for the parents.
Sorry, but if I rewind the movie,
it's a weird chain of events. It starts with reprimands
When Souleymane forgets his things, talks back.
We punish him. Again and again,
until a disciplinary hearing leading to who knows what.
Everything gets out of hand.
Sure, looking at it that way,
it's really shocking.
But the school won't be expelling Souleymane.
He's been gone for a while.
François...
I didn't expect you so soon.
Have you reached a decision?
I don't think I have much choice.
By the way, Julie told me you had a heated exchange
With two girls in your class.
Yes, the two class reps but it happened first so...
You apparently called them "skanks".
Let's say that, yes.
That complicates things
but the problem remains.
I'd like you to mention it in your report.
I don't want it used against us at the disciplinary hearing.
Don't bother hiding it, just write it down.
I understand.
I'll let you reread this
before we launch the procedure.
So I...
I just need to add...
Yes, without going into detail.
Does that suit you?
Can you take the minutes?
Please sit down.
"Carl tried to reason with him.
"Souleymane broke free,
"swinging his bag that hit Khoumba in the face.
"He left, insulting everyone and slamming the door.
"I didn't go after him because I needed
"to help Khoumba whose eyebrow was bleeding."
Those are the facts that led to today's hearing.
Madame, it doesn't mean Souleymane is a bad boy.
That's not what we're saying.
But, sometimes, a student in a class,
through voluntary or involuntary behavior,
can create an atmosphere that prevents the class from working.
Do you understand what we're saying?
If I may say something, it's true
there had been a number of signs that should have warned us.
We could have reacted sooner.
But now we have to deal with an incident
that is fairly violent and that's simply unacceptable.
I'd like to know if you realize that, Souleymane?
We're not saying you're deliberately violent.
The problem is you can't control what you say and what you do.
Souleymane, we'd like to hear you.
You're here to express your point of view. Go ahead.
I don't give a damn. I've got nothing to say.
Do whatever you want to do.
Excuse me...
Monsieur, Madame...
Can you translate?
She says I'm a good boy.
I do my homework.
I help my brothers and sisters with their work when I can.
I always wash the dishes and help her when I can.
We don't doubt he's a good son. That's not the problem.
Let's consider his school record.
Excuse me, but could we focus on the facts here?
Firstly, I'd like to say
that we're surprised to see the teacher involved in the incident
on this committee.
We find it highly irregular.
It's true. It's odd to be both judge and litigant.
First of all, Mr. Marin was elected to the administrative board
as the teachers' representative.
Moreover,
I think that the incident that occurred in Mr. Marin's class
doesn't involve the teacher directly.
I'm sorry,
you mention some harsh words spoken by the teacher.
Apparently, you used the word "skanks"
to describe the class reps. And that's a problem.
I did say that
but it wasn't something that concerned Souleymane.
I think he used the excuse of a rather heated exchange
to express the bad mood that he was in that day.
He tried to defend them.
So I feel that it's relevant.
Sorry, but absolutely nothing justifies
being disrespectful to a teacher,
insulting everyone and leaving a class without permission.
Souleymane, do you have anything to say?
I don't know. What can I say?
Monsieur, Madame...
What did she say?
The same thing again.
She apologizes on my behalf.
You can come back in now.
Madame, the committee has conferred
and has decided to expel Souleymane from the school for good.
You will receive the ruling by registered mail
and have eight days to appeal.
We shall do our best to find Souleymane another school.
Goodbye, Messieurs, Dames.
Souleymane, come to see me before the end of the week, please.
Mathematical proportionality.
This year, you learned mathematical proportionality.
All right.
I liked science.
What you learned, not what you liked.
If you liked it, you learned.
So what did you learn?
All about volcanoes, earthquakes,
plates...
Convergence and divergence, movement of the Earth's plates...
- It was fascinating. - It interested you?
That's good.
Well, in mathematics,
trigonometry,
Pythagoras' theorem, Thales' theorem...
I'll stop you there.
You can't sit there and brag
you learned Pythagoras' theorem. Recite it for us.
If, in a triangle...
two sides are equal to...
If the square root...
If the square of two sides is equal to the square...
the square of the hypotenuse...
then the triangle's a rectangle.
More or less, yes.
It's spot on.
All right.
I believe you.
In history, I learned about triangular trade.
The fact that ships left Europe
With manufactured goods
that they took to Africa to trade for men who'd become slaves
that they took to America to work.
Then they took the money they made back to Europe.
That's triangular trade.
Chemistry.
What in chemistry?
Combustion.
What's that?
Blending Fehling's solution and glucose.
What do you get?
Heat up the test-tube
and it changes color.
What's the interest?
The interest?
I dunno. Why teach it to us if there's no interest?
Reproduction.
What did you learn about human reproduction?
Human reproduction...
Well, the sperm
gets into the ovum,
then you wait 9 months,
then you do a sonogram and then it comes out.
The sperm does?
No, the baby.
The human being that's inside.
Khoumba?
Me?
Yes. That is your name?
In music,
I learned to play the alto recorder...
and in Spanish.
The recorder in Spanish?
No, in music, I learned to play the alto recorder.
And other stuff in Spanish.
Very good. Can you say something to us in Spanish?
And that means?
It's the vacation soon or the vacation's coming.
I didn't learn anything.
You can't spend 9 months at school and not learn anything.
I'm the living proof.
You got something from the books we read.
- Your books are shite. - They're what?
They're useless.
What about a book you read by yourself?
The books I read?
Well, there's "The Republic".
The book "The Republic".
By Plato?
You read that?
How come?
My big sister had it.
She does philosophy?
No, law.
So what's it about?
Well, there's this guy...
His name's Socrates.
Socrates.
He stops people in the street and he asks them:
"Are you sure of thinking what you think?
"Are you sure of doing what you do?" And so on.
After that, people start getting confused.
They ask questions.
The guy's too much.
What does he ask people about?
Everything. Love, religion, God,
people, everything.
- It's good you read it. - I know.
It's not a skank's book!
Wait a second.
Before you leave, here are your self-portraits.
One by one. When you have yours, you can go.
This is kind of you.
What is it?
These are the self-portraits that you wrote
and that we made up with the class photo and so on.
You don't have one?
Why did you put this here?
- You look good in it. - Cut it out.
You're like a leader.
- Have a good vacation. - You too.
Sir?
What is it?
I didn't learn anything.
What? That doesn't mean anything.
Earlier, all the others
said they'd learned something.
Compared to them, I learned nothing.
You learned as much as them. They had to think hard too.
It's not easy
to remember what you learned.
But I don't understand.
What do you mean?
I don't understand what we do.
In French?
In everything.
You can't say you don't understand anything in any subject.
That's not true.
I don't want to go to vocational school.
There's no question of that yet.
You're moving on to the next year.
You'll have plenty of time to think about your future.
Vocational school isn't an absolute certainty.
It all depends on how you do next year.
But I don't want to.