It was initially conceived during the French Revolution, founded in 1794, and was intended to provide the Republic with a new body of professors, trained in the critical spirit and secular values of the Enlightenment. The school was subsequently reestablished by Napoleon I as pensionnat normal from 1808 to 1822, before being recreated in 1826 and taking the name of École normale in 1830. When institutes for primary teachers training called écoles normales were created in 1845, the word supérieure (meaning upper) was added to form the current name. It has since developed into an institution which has become a platform for a select few of France's students to pursue careers in government and academia. ENS has two main sections (literary and scientific) and a highly competitive selection process consisting of written and oral examinations. During their studies, many ENS students hold the status of paid civil servants.