2013 School Education in France 244073
2013 School Education in France 244073
2013 School Education in France 244073
on School
Education
School Education
in France
2012
2012
eduscol.
education.fr/
dossiers
Content
______
General principles 2
______
Devolved Powers 4
______
Teachers 4
______
The Common Core of Knowledge and Skills 6
______
The Structure of the School System 8
______
Primary School 9
______
Lower Secondary School: le Collège 11
______
Upper Secondary School: le lycée 15
______
Equal Opportunities Policy 20
______
French Schooling Overseas 22
______
Key Figures (2011) 23
■ Academic freedom
State schools and private schools that have a contract with the state
coexist within the state system. In exchange for signing a public
contract, private schools benefit from state support but are subject
to regulation and must respect the national curriculum.
The state alone awards diplomas. Exams are set at the national level.
83% of pupils are schooled in the state system and 17% in private
schools. A small number of pupils are taught in private schools that
have not signed a public contract.
■ Free provision
Provision of schooling at level 1 (premier degré: nursery and elementary
schools), level 2 (second degré: lower secondary/collèges and upper
secondary general, technological and vocational lycées) is free in state
schools. Building, equipment and running costs are divided between
the various local authorities.
■ Neutrality
The curriculum and content of teaching have to respect the principle
of neutrality. Teachers and pupils are required to show philosophical
and political neutrality.
■ Secularism (Laïcité)
The French school system has been based on the principle of secularism
since the end of the 19th century. State schooling has been secular since
the Jules Ferry Education Act of 28 March 1882.
The respect for the beliefs of pupils and their parents means the
absence of religious teaching in the syllabus – which does not prevent
the teaching about religion – and the banning of proselytism. The
principle of religious freedom led to the introduction of one day off
every week to allow for religious teaching outside school.
■ Compulsory Education
Schooling has been compulsory since the law of 28 March 1882. It is
compulsory from the age of six for all French or foreign children of both
genders who are resident in France.
Initially schooling was compulsory until the age of thirteen but was
extended to the age of 16 in 1959.
However (with a prior declaration) the family can home-school their
children.
Investment (construction,
reconstruction), infrastructure, Municipality Département Region
running costs
Teaching staff
(recruitment, training, State State State
allocation, pay)
NB. France has 26 regions (30 académies responsible for the local administration of education),
101 départements and 36,851 municipalities.
Teachers
In France, teachers are recruited by competitive exam
and become State civil servants. Teachers from private
schools that are under contract with the State are
also recruited by competitive exam. They have the status
of public contractors.
Source: Repères et références statistiques 2011 – The State of Schools - Direction de l’évaluation, de la
prospective et de la performance (Assessment, Forward-Planning and Performance Directorate), – Ministry
of National Education, Ministry for Higher Education and Research)
The text presents the set of values, knowledge, languages and practices
that need to be mastered in order for each pupil to successfully
complete his or her schooling, continue his or her education, build his
or her personal and professional future and be a successful member
of society.
For modern languages, the curriculum has been designed and drawn
up in application of the ‘Common European Framework of Reference
for Languages’ (CEFRL).
■ Key competences
The Common Core of Knowledge and Skills is organised around seven
key competences:
1. command of the French language;
2. proficiency in a modern foreign language;
cycle 1
(école maternelle) _ Moyenne section
3 - 6 years old _ Grande section
cycle 2
Primary Elementary school _ Cours préparatoire (CP)
(école primaire) (école élémentaire) _ Cours élémentaire 1ère année (CE1)
3 - 11 years old 6 - 11 years old _ Cours élémentaire 2e année (CE2)
cycle 3
_ Cours moyen 1ère année (CM1)
_ Cours moyen 2e année (CM2)
Lower secondary 6e
(collège)
11 - 15 years old 5e
4e
3e
Secondary
(secondaire) Upper secondary General route Vocational route
11 - 18 years old (lycée) Technological
15 - 18 years old (*) route
Seconde Seconde
Première Première
Terminale Terminale
This age range does not apply to the lycées professionnels as study can combine a two-year CAP
(*)
As of the 2008-2009 academic year, pupils are taught for twenty four
hours a week, spread over eight or nine half days. Those with learning
difficulties can also benefit from tailored support for two hours a week.
■ Nursery School
The specificity of the French school system is that pupils have access
to nursery education before the age of six, when compulsory schooling
begins. It is often divided into three levels according to the age of the
children. Although it is optional, nine out of ten children attend nursery
school from the age of three.
Schools take into account the different aptitudes of each pupil. In addition
to reasoning and intellectual thought, a taste for experimentation,
sensitivity, motor skills and creative imagination are developed.
Refresher classes aimed at pupils in the last two years of primary school
(CM1-CM2) who show serious shortcomings in French and maths are
provided in addition to the tailored support. These courses are spread
over three periods: one week over the spring holidays and the first and
last week of the summer holidays. They take place over five days with
three hours of daily teaching tailored to the needs of the pupil.
■ What is taught
Teaching in the lower secondary is organised by subject: French,
mathematics, history and geography, civic education, life and earth
sciences, technology, art, musical education, physical education,
physics and chemistry, two modern languages as well as the cross-
curricular teaching of the history of art.
■ Organisation
The four years (sixième - cinquième - quatrième - troisième: years 6
to 9) of compulsory schooling are organised in three stages or cycles.
In cinquième physics and chemistry are taught for the first time.
Pupils can take Latin as an optional module and continue learning it
in quatrième and troisième.
At the end of this year, pupils sit an exam to gain the diplôme national
du brevet (DNB) which assesses the knowledge and skills learned in
lower secondary and certifies the command of the Common Core of
Knowledge and Skills. It takes coursework into account and includes
three written tests in French, mathematics, history and geography, civic
education and an oral exam in art history.
At the end of the last year, pupils sit the baccalauréat exam – the first
higher education diploma – which entitles the holder to enter the first
year of university study. Some parts of the exam are taken the previous
year (for example a French paper in all series).
The reform of this route in 2009 helped to raise the qualifications of young
people, improve their entry into the world of work and facilitated further
study in higher education where relevant.
At the end of final year of upper secondary, pupils sit the vocational
baccalaureate, a national exam that, like other baccalaureates, gives
a level IV end of secondary schooling certificate (French classification,
see inset).
Qualifications:
_ Certificate of professional aptitude (CAP): level V, 2 years of study,
over 200 specialisms;
_ Le baccalauréat professionnel (vocational baccalaureat): level IV,
3 years of study, 70 specialisms;
_ Le brevet professionnel (BP ): level IV, (only through apprenticeship)
2 years of training after a CAP, 68 specialisms;
_ La mention complémentaire (MC: optional qualification): level
V or IV, one year after the CAP or baccalauréat professionnel,
57 specialisms;
_ Le brevet des métiers d’art (BMA: arts vocational qualification):
level IV, 2 years after a CAP in the vocational arts, 26 specialisms.
ISCED European
French Qualification International Qualifications
Classification Level classification Framework
equivalent (2) Levels
(1) These diplomas are awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
(2) “International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) created by UNESCO.
This reform will be completed in all series by the start of the 2014-2015
academic year.
Tailored support
It includes:
_ support for pupils experiencing difficulties;
_ building on existing knowledge or a different approach to the
disciplines studied;
_ methodological support;
_ c areers guidance.
■ Priority Education
The priority education policy aims to correct the effects of social and
economic inequality in educational attainment, ensure command of
the common core by all pupils at the end of compulsory schooling and
reduce the attainment gap between pupils. This policy targets, first
and foremost, schools with the greatest difficulties.
As such, at the start of the 2012 academic year primary and secondary
schools tackling academic ambition, innovation and success, the
écoles, collèges et lycées pour l’ambition, l’innovation et la réussite
(ECLAIR) programme involves:
_ 2,189 nursery and elementary schools, i.e. 6% of school pupils;
_ 303 collèges, i.e. 5.5% of lower secondary pupils;
_ 21 vocational lycées;
_ 11 general and technological lycées;
_ 4 boarding schools.
A few figures:
_3 00,000 pupils including 110,000 of French nationality;
_4 85 schools established in 130 countries;
_A round 12,000 pupils pass the baccalauréat each year;
_O ver 6,500 Education Ministry staff and 15,000 local recruits.
2. The Mission laïque française (MLF) has 118 member schools
established in 48 countries and attended by 47,000 pupils.
_ Number of schools,
65,173
including 56,404 state schools
_N
umber of primary schools 53,798
_ Special Schools 80
Budget
Source: Repères et références statistiques 2011 – The State of schools 2011 – Direction de l’évaluation,
de la prospective et de la performance (Assessment, Forward-Planning and Performance Directorate), –
Ministry of National Education,Ministry for Higher Education and Research)
eduscol.education.fr/dossiers