France has cancelled its traditional 'baccalaureat' or 'bac' exam this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, the country's education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said in a televised address on Friday.
This marks the first cancellation of this exam since its introduction in 1808 under Napoleon Bonaparte.
According to the minister, instead of the exam in its traditional form, students will receive an average score in each subject which will be calculated from marks they had previously received for tests and homework during the year.
"This is the most simple, secure and fair solution in these difficult times", Jean-Michel Blanquer said.
France has reported 58,327 cases of COVID-19 infection, with 4,490 deaths, the World Health Organisation says.