Day 2131 (Saturday) 30th January 2021

It was lovely and sunny this morning but it clouded over after lunch and stayed that way all afternoon. Huw did some chores and shopping and I spent the afternoon doing a Disney jigsaw – bliss. I had a text from Eduard’s secretary saying that their flight to London today has been cancelled so I am working on Monday after all. I didn’t realise that private jets could be cancelled. 

Following on from yesterday’s post about school lunches I did some research on the French education system…it’s a bit long but I found it interesting…

The French educational philosophy emphasises:

• the authority of the teacher;

• individual competition including an absolute grading system 

• stress on analytical thought and rote learning as opposed to creativity;

• generally high academic expectations.

The French don’t necessarily expect children to have fun at school. Sports and creative activities are encouraged but generally organised by community or private associations, not by the schools.

French schooling is free and mandatory from ages six to 16, although the majority of French children start earlier. Another two years of study are necessary if a student is to sit the baccalauréat exam. Students must pass this to enter university.

Local and international schools in France

Most students in France attend local schools, which are free. However, foreign families may consider an international school to ease their child’s transition by continuing education in a familiar language. 

Compulsory education in France

Although French education is compulsory for children between six and 16, many children enter preschool at the age of three. More than 50% of 18-21-year olds in France are in full-time higher education. Around 64% of students complete their secondary education by taking the baccalauréat (le bac) or the baccalauréat professionnel (le bac prof) exams.

State education is free for French citizens and others who have proof of residence. Parents generally pay for stationery and school trips. 

Schools are mixed-sex and secular. While the majority of schools are state-run (ecoles publiques), there are also private schools under contract (sous contrat) to the French government, whereby the government pays the teachers’ salaries, the school follows the national curriculum, and fees are reasonably low. There are also private schools (ecoles prives) that are fully independent (hors contrat), some of which are international schools. Schools affiliated to a particular religion are also usually private and thus fee-paying. There are public schools with bilingual programmes but in most cases bilingual education is only available in a private school. 

Most French schools follow a national curriculum set by the Ministry of Education. However, the French government published reforms in 2015 that would allow schools to set 20% of the curriculum themselves.

There is no school uniform at most schools in France. The calendar year of a child’s birth determines their grade; all children born between 1 January and 31 December of a particular year are in the same grade.

The school year in France

The school year starts at the beginning of September. French schools have long holidays: a two-month summer holiday starting in July, two or three weeks at Christmas and Easter, as well as half-term breaks. Dates vary according to where you live. Private schools set their own dates.

The school week in France

Students go to school between 24 and 28 hours a week, spread over four, four and a half, or five days depending on the region. Students preparing the baccalauréat may have as many as 40 hours per week. Some schools close on Wednesday afternoons and older pupils may have lessons on a Saturday. Although Saturday classes were once a common practice in French primary schools, this has been phased out and replaced by a longer school year.

The school day starts around 8.30am and ends at 4.30pm (later for older students). There are two breaks (récré) and at least an hour and a half for lunch. Students can return home for lunch or stay and eat in the school cantine. School lunch usually consists of a starter, main meal, dessert and cheese; costs for this vary. After the school day ends students can go home – with their parents’ permission – or go to etudes (study lessons).

Many schools have a fee-based childcare system, service de puériculture, available before and after school and during vacations. These services, as well as la cantine, must be signed up for separately and fees are often means-tested.

The structure of the French education system

After nursery school or kindergarten (école maternelle), which is optional, the French compulsory education system has three stages or cycles:

primary school (école)

middle school (collège)

high school (lycée)

Preschool/nursery (école maternelle)

Preschools or nursery schools – écoles maternelles – provide care for children from two and three years old until they are six. While children are not obliged to attend, state facilities are free. The curriculum aims to prepare children for primary school, and includes reading, writing, numeracy and sometimes even a foreign language. 

Primary school (ecole primaire)

Children in France attend primary school from the age of six to 11 years old. 

There are five levels:

CP: Cours préparatoire or 11ème – age 6 to 7 years old

CE1: Cours élémentaire or 10ème – age 7 to 8 years old

CE2: Cours élémentaire or 9ème – age 8 to 9 years old

CM1: Cours moyen 1 or 8ème – 9 to 10 years old

CM2: Cours moyen 2 or 7ème – 10 to 11 years old

If a child needs to repeat a year, redoubler, this suggestion occurs at the end of a cycle. This decision can be determined by a group of school directors and teachers, conseil de cycle. Parents may appeal their decisions. However, there isn’t the same negative stigma with repeating as in English-speaking countries; some 30% of students may repeat at least once in their schooling life.

Middle school (collège)

Between 11 and 15, students in France attend a middle school (collège). Schools accept all pupils; there is no entrance exam for state schools. 

There are four levels:

6ème – 11 to 12 years

5ème – 12 to 13 years

4ème – 13 to 14 years

3ème – 14 to 15 years

The syllabus offers a general education and consists of French, mathematics, history, civics, biology, physics, technology, art, music, and physical education. More academic students often opt for general classes, while less academic kids take vocational ones.

In collège, marks (notes) are an important part of school, with tests (controles) being common. During the year, students take weekly tests; at the end of the year, they must pass with an average of 12 out of 20. Scoring under 10 may mean repeating the year. Parents can appeal a decision for their child to repeat (redoubler), but rarely do.

At age 15, students sit the brevet, the Diplôme National du Brevet (or Brevet des Collèges). The test is on French, mathematics, and history/geography. They must also pass their B2i (computer skills) during the year and reach A2 level in another language.

The brevet also includes assessment on attitude and behaviour during the last year (3ème). Students must get 10 marks out of 20 to pass; 12 for a Mention Assez Bien, 14 for a Mention Bien, and 16+ for a Mention Très Bien.

After the brevet, students may leave the education system if they’re 16 or continue in a lycée. Academic pupils move onto a lycée général or lycée technique, while less academic go to a lycée professionnel.

High school or lycée

The last three years of secondary education – from 15 to 18 years old – are spent at a lycée general, a lycée technique or a lycée professionnel. Students take the same core curriculum of some eight or nine subjects but are offered three electives and an artistic workshop. At the end of this year, the key decision is made as to which baccalaureat the student pursues. 

The levels are:

Seconde (CAP, BEP) – 15 to 16 years old

Première (CAP, BEP) – 16 to 17 years old

Terminale (BAC) – 17 to 18 years old

Lycée general and lycée technique

Students start to specialise with the aim of sitting the Baccalauréat (le bac), which is the qualification to enter university at 18. Students choose different ‘series’. The general bac consists of the L series (literary studies), ES series (economic and social studies) or S series (sciences). The S bac is the toughest.

Sitting for the tests can be a nail-biting experience and many students may add a series of practice tests to their regular studies during the final two years. 

Lycée professionnel

At a lycee professionnel (lycées pro), students work towards qualifications to help them get a manual or clerical job or pursue further vocational studies. These qualifications are the baccalauréat professionnel (bac pro), CAP (certificat d’aptitude professionnel) and BEP (Brevet d’enseignement professionnel), which focus on one of four fields: social/health, driving/transport, catering/hotels, and optics.

Lycées du bâtiment and lycées agricoles specialise in building trades and agriculture. The professional baccalaureate requires three years of study and certifies the student to work in a qualified professional activity.

Higher education in France

A baccalauréat or foreign equivalent guarantees access to a publicly funded university, although the very best students take another one or two years of private studies, preparatory classes, or prépas, so they can sit for an entrance exam (concours) into the handful of prestigious schools known collectively as les grandes écoles for engineering, business, and politics or administrative studies. 

Home-schooling in France

It’s legal in France to home school your child. You have to make an annual declaration at your local mairie and at the rectorat (school inspectorate). Also, you have to be able to cover roughly the same topics and to the same levels as in a French school. There are annual inspections by the schools inspector, and every two years by the mairie. If they decide that standards are inadequate then you may be ordered to send your child to school. 

Sorry, no jokes or videos again today.