an overview

1
an overview

• The French education system

2
The French education system

• Organization

3
Founding principles

• Compulsory schooling from 6 to 16
• Free education
• Secularity religious, political and
  phisosophical neutrality

4
The role of the State

• Defining the syllabus at every school level
• Organizing exams, delivering certificates,
  diplomas and degrees
• Recruiting, training, assigning, paying and
  managing the teaching and administrative staff

5
Sharing out responsibilitiesbuilding and
maintenance

• State
• Region council
•  Département  council
• (chief admisnistrative division)
• Town council

6
The French education system

• Structure

7
2 major divisions

• Primary school
• nursery school (2 to 5)
•  élémentaire  school (6 to 11)
• Secondary school
•  collège  (11 to 15)
•  lycée  (15 to 18)

8
Primary school (after 6)

• 5 years
• ? First year infant class (CP)
• ? Primary class I (CE1)
• ? Primary class II (CE2)
• ? Intermediate class I (CM1)
• ? Intermediate class II (CM2)
• CP (cours préparatoire) beginning of compulsory
  schooling

9
Collège secondary school between 11 and 15

• 4 years
• - Sixth class
• - Fifth class
• - Fourth class
• - Third class
• Brevet des collèges general exam taken at the
  end of third class
• 16end of compulsory schooling

10
General and technical high school (15 to 18)

• 3 years
• - second class (determination year)
• - first class
• - final year
• 3 channels in first and final classes
• - sciences (S)
• - arts and humanities (L)
• - economics and social studies (ES)
• Technological subjects in many fields
  management, industrial, health
• End of final year Baccalauréat examination
  qualifying for entry to university

11
Vocational and professional high school

• 2 training programmes
• 2 years
• Vocational diploma (BEP)
• Vocational training certificate (CAP)
• 1 training programme
• 4 years
• Baccalauréat professionnel Professional
  secondary-school-leaving certificate

12
The French education system

• School year organization

13
Students timetable

• Primary school
• Different systems according to the town
• 6 hours a day,
• 4 days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday,
  Friday)
• and holiday shortened
• or 4 days plus Saturday morning.
• 8.30-11.30 1.30-4.30 or 9.00-12.00 2.00-5.00
• Secondary school
• Between 28 and 35 hours per week
• maximum 8 hours a day
• 8.00-5.30 or 8.30-6.00
• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday a.m., Thursday, Friday
  
• Some classes on Wednesday afternoons or Saturday
  mornings

14
Teachers timetable

• Primary school teachers 27 hours per week
• Secondary school teachers (certifiés) 18 hours
  per week
• 20 hours for the P.E. teachers
• Successful candidates of advanced professional
  competitive examinations (agrégés) 15 hours per
  week

15
Number of students and employees

• 363 285 primary school teachers
• 6 626 500 pupils
• 520 736 secondary school teachers
• 3 248 500 collège students
• 1 512 900 lycée students
• 724 000 lycée professionnel students

16
Holidays

• Beginning of new school year
• beginning of September
• Toussaint (all Saints day) 10 days (end of
  October, beginning of November)
• Christmas 2 weeks
• Winter 2 weeks
• Spring 2 weeks
• Summer July and August
• Principle
• 7 weeks at school / 2 weeks on holiday

17
The French education system

• Curriculums

18
Subjects

• French
• Mathematics
• History-geography
• Biology
• Physics chemistry
• Modern language 1
• Physical education
• Fine arts (collège)
• Music (collège)
• Technology (collège)
• Civics (collège)
• Philosophy (final year)

• Modern languages 2 / 3
• Ancient languages
• Social sciences
• Economics
• Arts
• Data-processing
• Extra-curricular subjects

19
Diplomas and certificates

• National examinations
• Brevet des collèges
• Baccalauréat
• Baccalauréat professionnel
• CAP
• BEP
• Road safety certificate
• Data-processing and Internet certificate

20
The French education system

• Administration

21
High school organization chart
22
The French education system

• Current issues

23
Debate topics

• Special help in education
• Prevention of illiteracy
• Equal opportunity for girls and boys
• Increasing the value of vocational teaching
• Providing education for sick and handicapped
  children
• Civic education
• Students health
• Information and communication technologies
• Education to the environment for a sustained
  development
• The education system European openess

24
Projects 2007

• Success for every student
• Setting up of a common base of knowledges and
  competences
• Basic knowledge reading, writing, grammar,
  mental arithmetic
• Adapted syllabus of educative success
• Renovation project of the foreign language
  teaching
• Mastery of information and communication
  technologies
• Equal opportunities girls / boys, handicapped
  students
• Individualized course of study and a successful
  integration into the job market

25
Updating 2007 adapted from an original slide show
by Amélie Castets from the French Embassy
26
Thank you for your attention