Clément Mathieu, a middle-aged man who is grasping at finding his place in life after a series of failed endeavors. Janumarks the arrival to the school of the new supervisor, M. In turn, the teachers don't teach, but are always watching out for the next subversive act from the boys. This approach does not seem to be working as the boys as a collective are an unruly bunch. Rachin, an egotistical disciplinarian whose official unofficial mantra for the school is 'action - reaction', meaning that there will be severe consequences for any boy out of line.
In the mid-twentieth century, it is run by the principal M. Fond de l'Etang is a boarding school for troubled boys located in the French countryside.
