The role of the State : The Ministry of Education

determines the curriculumdetermines the curriculum

determines the teaching methodsdetermines the teaching methods

determines the status and functioning of every schooldetermines the status and functioning of every school

recruits, trains, appoints & manages the workforce (teachers & recruits, trains, appoints & manages the workforce (teachers &

administrative + service staff)administrative + service staff)

provides teachers and administrative service staff for every provides teachers and administrative service staff for every

school school

organizes the national exams ‘‘baccalauréat’’ – A-levels- a organizes the national exams ‘‘baccalauréat’’ – A-levels- a

passport to higher educationpassport to higher education

THE FRENCH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Towards more power to regional authorities

•Today: decentralization for more flexibility and diversity

• Since 2006, most of the means and fundings are

assigned by the ‘‘ Recteur’’ - Commissioner of

Education’’ in each ‘‘académie’’ – school district or

regional authority

• Since 1999, appointments are made locally by the

‘‘Recteurs d’académie’’

‘‘30 académies’’

Regional authorities

National figuresNational figuresPrimary schoolsPrimary schools

TeachersTeachers PupilsPupils

318 381318 381 6 552 0006 552 000

Secondary schoolsSecondary schools

TeachersTeachers StudentsStudents

399 470399 470 3 323 000 junior 3 323 000 junior secondary studentssecondary students

1 511 000 senior 1 511 000 senior secondary studentssecondary students

746 500 vocational college 746 500 vocational college

studentsstudents

Nursery school

Attendance not compulsory

From 2 to 3 : 10%From 4 to 5 : 96%

5 general aims and objectives

The curriculum of nursery school was defined in January 2002, on the basis of 5 main

areas of activity, consisting in...

Weekly timetable 26 hours

Living together

Speaking, discovering the basics of

writing and readingin French

Imagining,feeling and creating.

Acting in the world(Body language…)

Exploring the world(Arts)

STRUCTURE OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN FRANCE

Number of hoursNew hours and curricula for

primary school were decreed on January 25, 2002

The class hours are weekly and divided up per subject and per cycle

Basic learning cycle Last class of pre-elementary school,

Preparatory class (CP), Elementary class 1Weekly timetable

26 hours

Subjects Minimum hours Maximum hours French 9 H 10h Mathematics 5 H 5H 30 Discovery of the world 3H 3H 30 Living together 30 minutes a week (debates) Artistic education 3H 3h 30 Physical education and sports 6 H 3H 3H Modern or regional language 1H 2H Daily activities Minimum hours 2H 30

Elementary school A– From 6 to 7

Compulsory schooling starts at 6

Elementary school – 8, 9 and 10 year-olds

Consolidation cycle: Elementary class 2 (CE2),

Middle class 1 (CM1) and Middle class 2 (CM2).

Fields Subjects Minimum

hours Maximum hours

Total

French language , education in literature and the humanities

Literature: spoken, read, written

4H30 5H30

Study and observation of French (grammar, conjugations, spelling, vocabulary

1H30

2H

Modern or regional language

1H30 2H 12H

History & geography

3H 3H 30

Community life (guided debate)

0H30 0H 30

Science Mathematics 5.5 h 5H 5H 30 Experimental

sciences and technology

2H30 3H 8H

Arts Music Visual arts

3H 3H

Physical education and sports 3H 3H Civic education 1h spread over For weekly

debate Transversal studies: Mastery of language and of French

13 hours spread over

High Schools (‘Collèges’)

From 11 to 15 (4 grades)From 11 to 15 (4 grades) A unique system for all pupils A unique system for all pupils

(‘Collège unique’) with a national (‘Collège unique’) with a national curriculumcurriculum

A final assessment (« Brevet des A final assessment (« Brevet des Collèges ») with no real Collèges ») with no real consequences.consequences.

Secondary education is divided into three distinct branches

General education

Technological education

Vocational education

Upper Schools

16 to 18

General branch: 3 options

L for Literary, based mainly on French,

philosophy and modern languages ES for Economics and social sciences

S for Sciences, based mainly on mathematics

physics and natural sciences.

Technological branch: 7 options

Industrial sciences and technology Laboratory sciences and technology

Business sciences and technology

Medical and social sciences

Agronomy sciences and technology

Catering management and tourism

Music and danceVocational branch: mainly tertiary

and industrial

(office management, accounts, catering, joinery, mechanics, hairdressing, textiles, etc…)

Buildings are mostly funded by regional and other local authorities

StateState

RegionRegion

‘‘Département ’ Département ’ (County)(County)

TownTown

UNIVERSITIESUNIVERSITIES

UPPER SCHOOLSUPPER SCHOOLS

HIGH SCHOOLSHIGH SCHOOLS

PRIMARY SCHOOLSPRIMARY SCHOOLS

Our partnerships

Foreign language teachingin numbers in the académie

FL chosen in High School FL chosen in Upper School