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 9th February 2010
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Education in France Jacqueline Karp, our regular contributor, has both taught students at collège and lycée level and trained teachers all over the Académie de Poitou-Charentes (an académie is similar to a local education authority, but covering a much wider area). She has also inspected trainee teachers in every type of school: écoles primaires, collèges, lycées and lycées professionnels, both state-run and private schools. Although now retired, Jacqueline continues to teach a couple of courses for in-service secondary school teachers at Poitiers University. Having put her own child through the French education system, she also has a parent’s point of view of the educational experience as well. If you have a question or suggestion for the zone, or would like to make a contribution, please get in touch. 2009/2010 School Calendar Newsletter SubscribeEnjoying Life in France OR French Property Tips your FREE newsletters.Type in your email to subscribe
View Previous Newsletters International Schools in France * International schools in France * NEW: International sections within French lycées. * Directory of schools more... Insurance for Schoolchildren in France Statistics about French educationSome interesting facts and figures• Number of pupils in primary and secondary education (aged six to eighteen) (2002-2003): 12,126,000. • Total staff numbers in primary and secondary schools (2002-2003): 1,341,200, including 894,200 teachers. • Budget of the French Ministry of Education (2003): 62.8 billion euros. • Average annual expenditure per pupil (2002): 6,470 euros. • Educational expenditure (initial training) as a proportion of gross domestic product (2000): 6.1%. France ranks fourth in the world and is above the average for Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, which is 5.5%. |
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If you are moving to France you may have many questions about how to get your child into school, and how they will adapt. Here, Jacqueline Karp, who has not only taught in French schools but put her own child through the system, answers the most frequently asked questions...
If you are already living in France, or you are hoping to move there soon, you may wish to teach English. Teaching English can provide a supplementary income or it can provide a very rewarding full-time career...
Once you have your bac “en poche” (literally, in your pocket), you have access to university, and as long as there is space, you can, in theory, sign up for any of the courses available. Jacqueline Karp tells you some of the points you need to be aware of.
Many students prefer to look at options with smaller class numbers than at university, more personal attention, and a professional qualification at the end of two years. So what's available?
The Baccalauréat is a state diploma awarded to pupils in their final lycée year. But how does it differ to A-levels? Jacqueline Karp explains...
Information about the vaccinations your children will need in France. This is a relatively easy process as the medical system is very thorough here and easy to access via your local doctor.
Meeting your child’s teachers can be nerve-racking if your own French is shaky. Here’s one way to overcome that language barrier. Plus news of a recent film success set in a Paris school.
If you have an artist in your midst who is still wondering where to go after the bac, help is here. Télérama, the radio and television magazine has just brought out a special supplement for school-leavers with an interest in studying art...
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If you're worried about how your child is coping at school, perhaps home schooling is the answer - 500 families already do so in France. Stephanie Dagg, who has homeschooled her own daughter, explains how it works and what you need to know about homeschooling your child in France
Much of the information available about French education prepares you for the procedures and helps you understand the system. However there are some aspects about moving your child to France that aren’t mentioned in books and certainly don’t feature in the fantasy “get a new life” TV programmes...
'When I arrived in Paris as an au pair, the school children advancing hand in hand in the streets immediately caught my attention. Just like “Madeline” in the 1930’s series about the little Parisian and her friends, "in the streets they walk in two straight lines".'
After visiting schools, filling out a number of forms and checking out the school bus the Dagg family were full of optimism and enthusiasm for what lay ahead. But how has it worked out in reality? Here's their informative - and hugely amusing - account of their first year in the French school system