Two-thirds of primary children attend school on at least one in three Saturdays. In Paris, they alternate Saturdays and attend classes on Wednesday mornings, while most children have that day off.
Inflexible education, especially in reading, writing and arithmetic, describes the French education system. It does, therefore, have the reputation of being one of the most thorough systems in the world. As a resident in France and paying taxes, you are entitled to benefit from this thoroughness.
French schools have five holidays throughout the year: All Saints' holiday, Christmas holiday, winter holiday, spring holiday, and summer holiday. The breaks are usually around two weeks each, apart from the summer holidays, which last about eight weeks from early July to early September.
The school year in France is separated by five periods of schooling and four holiday periods, comprising at least 36 weeks of study. As a general rule, in maternity and primary schools, each week comprises 4.5 days of schooling, with the half-day each Wednesday (in a small number of cases, Saturday morning).
Starting when children enter school at age three, school lunch consists of four courses: a vegetable starter (for example, grated carrot salad, or beet salad), a warm main course served with a side of grains or vegetables, cheese, and dessert. Fresh baguette, eaten plain, is also served.
It used to be commonly accepted that the French Education system was one of the best in the world. Some 64% of all school pupils in France complete their secondary education, and take the high-school leaving certificate examinations, known as the baccalauréat or the baccalauréat professionnel.
The 35-hour working week is a part of a labour law reform adopted in France in February 2000, under Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's Plural Left government. Pushed by Minister of Labour Martine Aubry, it was adopted in two phases: the "Aubry 1" law in June 1998 and "Aubry 2" law in January 2000.
Uniforms have not been enforced in French schools, a few exceptions (such as Maison d'éducation de la Légion d'honneur, les Écoles TUNON, and Vatel). Les lycées de la défense, formerly known as military schools, require their students to wear uniforms.
The best French pupils compare favorably with the best English ones, but are not substantially “better educated.” But there's no evidence that the French as a whole are either better behaved or more engaged and concentrating.
La sixième (11 ans) = 6th grade (Year 7 UK). La cinquième (12 ans) = 7th grade (Year 8 UK). La quatrième (13 ans) = 8th grade (Year 9 UK). La troisième (14 ans) = 9th grade (Year 10 UK).
And for more than a decade, they have borne the brunt of constant but minor reform attempts that have singularly failed to address the two critical issues facing the French public school system: the rapid decline in the academic performance of pupils, and the growing social inequality in the education system.
France. The school day in France typically runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a half day on Saturday, although students do not attend school on Wednesday or Sunday. Lunch is a two-hour break for public school students. Students usually attend school from ages 6 to 18.
Collèges (French pronunciation: ?[k?ˈl??]) cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. Lycées ([liˈse]) provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between the ages of 15 and 18.
There are 136 English-speaking international schools in France. These present a great opportunity for English speaking teachers and expat parents looking at education options for their children.
Plan d'Epargne en Action (PEA)
The prime summer vacation months in France are July and August, when school is out and the weather is beautiful. Which raises a question: when should a French person go on vacation? The french even have nicknames for those who take a holiday in the summer!
The French education system consists of three stages: primary education, secondary education, and higher education. Formal schooling in France starts as early as age three, when many children attend kindergarten (maternelle). Day care (pré-maternelle) is available from age two.
The French have five weeks of mandatory holiday a year and most people taking a few weeks off in July or August.
Total number of public primary schools in France from 2005 to 2018
| Number of public schools |
|---|
| 2018* | 44,902 |
| 2017 | 45,401 |
| 2016 | 45,877 |
| 2015 | 46,435 |
After primary school, two educational stages follow: collège (middle school), for children during their first four years of secondary education from the age of 11 to 15. lycée (high school), which provides a three-year course of further secondary education for children between the ages of 15 and 18.
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.
Individuals choose France for their educational needs for a number of very good reasons. Because the French are so adamant about being able to offer students the highest educational standards, you can always count on your chosen college and program to be among the best that you can find anywhere in the world.
Study in France for free (or at low cost)Although technically university fees do exist at public universities in France, they're just a fraction of those charged in most countries, amounting to just €170 (~US$190) per year at undergraduate level for EU/EEA/Swiss students.
Most French students in the U.S. study at the undergraduate level (a total of 34.5 percent), with 28.3 percent studying at the graduate level and 37.2 percent of the French students in the United States participate in other types of programs (including Optional Practical Training).
This graph shows the average cost of tuition for a student in a private school in France in 2019. It reveals that the majority of parents, 36 percent of them, declared paying between 501 and 1,500 euros of tuition fees for their child whom studied in a private school.
A “licence” is the French equivalent of a Bachelors Degree (3 years university study) - so a translation of my above would be “A student studying for a Bachelors Degree”.
