FRENCH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM The French educational system is highly centralized and organized.
It is divided into three stages:
Primary education Secondary education Higher education
THE ROLE OF THE STATE
The ministry of education :
Determines the curriculum Determines the teaching methods Determines the status and functioning of every school Recruits, trains, appoints and manages the school staff Organizes the national exams “baccalaureat” A-Levels- a passport to higher education
Since the 1980s the State has devolved his role to the local authorities in the management of the local school system. The “recteur” is the ministry representative at local level, within académies (30 local authorities in all the territory
GENERAL PRINCIPLES ACADEMIC FREEDOM
State schools Private schools
FREE PROVISION NEUTRALITY SECULARISM ( Laïcité) COMPULSARY EDUCATION (6 – 16 years old) COMMON CORE OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS
The structure of school system
System
Schools
Nursery school 3 – 6 years old
PRIMARY
Elementary school 6 – 11 years old
Lower secondary (collège) 11 – 15 years old
SECONDARY
Classes
-
PS MS GS CP CE1 CE2 CM1 CM2
-
6ème 5ème 4ème 3ème
First exam « Brevet des collèges »
Upper secondary (lycée) 15 – 18 years old
Général, technological & vocational routes: - Seconde - Première - Terminale
Final exam « Baccalaureat »
HIGHER EDUCATION
-
Short-term post baccalaureat studies (BTS / DUT) University Higher schools
Lower secondary school « Collège » From 11 to 15 (4 grades) A unique system for all pupils (collège unique) with a national curriculum Weekly timetable: 28 to 30 hours Subjects taught: French, mathematics, history and geography, civic education, life and earth sciences, technology, art, musical education, physical education, physics and chemistry, two modern languages A final exam (« Brevet des collèges ») with no real consequences on further studies
From 16 to 18 (3 grades)
High secondary school « Lycée »
Weekly timetable : 30 hours
THREE DISTINCT ROUTES General route: 3 options L for literary (French, philpsophy and Modern languages) ES for economics and social sciences S for sciences (mathematics, physics and natural sciences)
Technological route: Many studies:
Management Sciences and Technologies, STG
Laboratory Science and Technologies, STL Health and Social Sciences SMS Hotel and restaurants management
Vocational route: mainly tertiary (office management, accounts, trade, hairdressing….), industrial, craft industry,and medical & social sciences.
The vocational route allows pupils to gain vocational skills as well as knowledge and know-how in a given field.
In the lycée professionnel, pupils attend “seconde” to prepare for a baccalauréat professionnel over three years or a short path over two years , the certificat d’aptitude professionnelle (CAP).
These studies mix theoretical and vocational training. Nowadays, many pupils follow these ones because they do not want to go on long studies and few of them actually go to university.
At the end of the last year, pupils sit the baccalauréat exam. The first higher education diploma which opens doors for universities or higher schools.
University
Active life
Technological Baccalauréat
General Baccalauréat
3rd year general studies
2nd year general studies
3rd year technological studies
2nd year technological studies
First year general & technological studies
Vocational Baccalaureat
3rd year BEP ou CAP Intermediate diploma
Certificat d’aptitude professionnelle
2nd year
2nd year CAP
First year
1st year CAP
General and technological route
Vocational route
After the lower secondary school « collège »
French secondary school timetable Schooling weeks / year Schhooling days / year
36 weeks 180 days (given public holidays)
Summer break
8 to 9 weeks
Short breaks
Autumn (2 weeks) Christmas (2 weeks) Winter (2 weeks) Spring (2 weeks)
Weekly schooling
4,5 days
Weekly timetable
30 hours
Number of students / class
24.7 students per class on average in the lower secondary school 19.2 students per class on average in the professional sections 29.7 students per class on average in the second general and technological sections
TEACHERS Status
State civil servants
Recruitment
Competitive exam for teaching: - CAPES (the certificate of aptitude in secondary teaching) - CAPEPS (the certificate of aptitude in physical and sporting -
education teaching) CAPLP (the certificate of aptitude of vocational teaching) AGREGATION (more selective than the CAPES)
Career
Promotion by seniority and level No compulsory professional dévelopment
Advancement
Competition for staff management
Working time
18 hours in front of students (Ongoing reform: annualization of working time) (35 – 40 hours estimed for
Holidays
14 - 16 weeks
Salary
Starting salary: 1600 € Average salary: 2500 € / month
KEY FIGURES (2013) Titles
Key figures
Students
12 213 300 Primary school Secondary school
6 753 800 5 459 500
Teachers
841 700 Secondary school
381 900
Diplomas
84.5% success rate in the national certificate (Brevet des collèges) 86.8% success rate in baccalaureat
Education expenditure
8,370 € per pupil in lower secondary school 11,470 € per student n high school (general and technological) 11,840 € per student in vocational school