School Merit and Excellence Beyond Appearances

This article aims to examine the representations of students distinguished for their academic merit regarding their educational trajectory in secondary schooling, with particular emphasis on the processes through which academic excellence is constructed. The study is framed within the interpretive paradigm and employs a case study strategy in a longitudinal perspective, drawing on a questionnaire survey (N=411), individual interviews (n=11), and research diary records. The qualitative analysis, grounded in thematic content analysis, enabled the organisation of categories around dimensions such as school performance, prior academic preparation, expectations, pressure for results, school competition, and the role of families. The findings reveal that students perceive secondary education as a stage of intense competitive pressure, dominated by a performative logic centred on grades and distinctions, often reinforced by private tutoring, grade inflation, and the creation of homogeneous classes. This environment generated intellectual, psychological, and physical strain, while limiting students’ preparation for the transition to higher education. The discussion highlights the “latent face” of school excellence, in which school practices intersect with family strategies, contributing to the reproduction of inequalities despite the meritocratic rhetoric of fairness and equal opportunities.