Education in France

     Education is compulsory in France from the ages of 6 to 16, but a large majority of children start school well before the minimum age, often as young as two years old, and over 50% of 18-21 year olds in France are still in full-time education, or else following a vocational training course. Some 64% of all school pupils in France complete their secondary education, and take the high-school leaving certificate examinations, known as the baccalauréat or the baccalauréat professionnel. The official target - estimated as necessary for the needs of the nation - is 80%.

Ecole Maternelle; kindergarten or pre-school. Ecoles Maternelles take pupils from age 2 to age 6, and prepare them for entry into primary school. The French école maternelle is more than just a playschool; the curriculum includes reading and writing, numeracy and even sometimes a foreign language, as well as artistic and creative activities. There are three classes, "les petits", "les moyens" and "les grands".

Ecole primaire, or Ecole élémentaire: primary school, grade school. Five classes, ages 6 to 11. The primary school curriculum in France is similar to that in other countries, and includes literacy and numeracy, with classes in French, arithmetic, but also geography and history, the arts, and more and more frequently a foreign language, usually English. Until 2008, the school week was Monday to Saturday morning, with Wednesday free. From September 2008, there are no more classes on Saturday morning. Pupils have an average of 28 hours classes per week. The five classes in the Ecole Primaire are, in order,  CP, CE1, CE2, CM1, and CM2 : CP is Cours préparatoire, preparatory class, CE means cours élémentaire - elementary class - , and CM is cours moyen, middle class; the two middle classes are a preparation for the next level, which is middle school.

Collège: middle school. Four levels, normally for pupils aged 11 - 15. The "collège unique" is the backbone of the French school system. All pupils go to collège, usually at age 11, but sometimes at an older age, if they have been made to repeat a year in primary school. The collège is designed to provide all pupils with a fundamental secondary education, after which a certain degree of specialisation will be introduced. In practice, pupils are frequently oriented during their collège years either towards general classes, from which they will be expected to continue their education in a traditional lycée, or towards more technical classes, after which they will be expected to take an exam called the "brevet" (a kind of GCSE), and then either stop their secondary education (if they have reached school leaving age), or continue in a "lycée professionnel" or vocational high school. The programme in collège includes French, maths, history, geography, technical education, art/music, physical education, civic education, some science, and at least one foreign language. The four classes, corresponding to grades 6 to 9, are called sixième, cinquième, quatrième and troisième.

Lycée: High School. The traditional French lycée covers the last three years of secondary education. There are two main types of traditional lycée, the lycée général or lycée classique, and the lycée technique. In big towns and cities, there will be a mix of both types; in smaller towns, there may not be a lycée technique. The main function of the lycée is to prepare pupils to sit the baccalauréat (or bac) exam, the equivalent of British A levels. Classes in a traditional lycée cover the same range as in collège, with the addition of philosophy (for all) in the final year. The three classes (grades 10 to 12) are known as seconde, première and terminale.

 In theory, all public lycées offer the same quality of education, in the framework of the national education system, and private lycées have to provide the same quality; in practice, this is not strictly true, and "league tables" published each year highlight the very high performance levels of a number of lycées that are commonly recognised as France's top shools: these include the Lycée Louis-le-Grand or Lycée Henri-IV in Paris, the Lycée Fermat in Toulouse, and a handful of other famous public lycées. However, in recent years, more and more of the top positions in the league tables have been taken by private lycées, such as the Collège Stanislas in Paris, France's largest private lycée.

Pupils in a lycée technique may begin to specialise in a fairly narrow technical field, in addition to their general secondary studies. There are technical lycées specialising in fields such as microtechnologies or aeronautics. Technical lycées that provide training in very specialised fields are usually boarding schools, since they recruit pupils from a large catchment area, and even on occasions from all over France.

Lycée professionnel: Vocational high school. "Lycées Pros", as they are commonly known, provide an essentially non-academic syllabus for young people intending to work in manual or clerical jobs. Pupils will either work towards a "baccalauréat professionnel" (bac pro), for which they will need to continue taking classes in the main academic subjects - French, maths, and frequently a foreign language), a BEP (Brevet d'enseignement professionnel), or a CAP (certificat d'aptitude professionnel). One common type of Lycée pro, found in most cities, is the "lycée du bâtiment" or building trades lycée, where pupils specialise in one of the many trades of the building and construction sector. There are also a good number of agricultural high schools, "lycées agricoles" and even horticultural high schools, "lycées horticoles", providing the increasingly technical ducation required by tomorrow's farmers and gardeners.

Lycées: les classes préparatoires. See higher education.

Private and public schools: It is commonly believed, outside France, that virtually all schools in France are state schools, i.e. in the public sector. This is a misconception. Over 80% of school pupils are in state schools, but this leaves a substantial (and growing) minority of almost 20% who attend private schools - far more, for instance, than in the United Kingdom or the USA.

     However the private/public divide is not as clear as it is in other countries. Private schools in France are essentially (about 90%)  catholic schools, in which there is religious instruction in the curriculum; they select their own teachers, but must follow the same curriculum as state schools if they wish to remain under contract (écoles “sous contrat”) to the state education system. This is a very important point for almost all private schools, as it means that the state pays the teachers. Consequently, private schools in France only charge symbolic or low fees, and are accessible to pupils from all sectors of society, not just to those whose parents are well-off. There are only a handful of fee-paying boarding schools in France, similar to English "public schools".

The state education system attaches great importance to the principle of secularism (la laïcité), and there is no formal teaching of religion in state schools in France. In theory, religion has no place in state schools in France. However, recent events in France have led to a growing demand for schools to teach religious awareness, this being seen by some as necessary for the development of greater understanding between people of different religions, notably with regard to France's Islamic minority. Religious instruction is not banned from state schools in France; it can take place after hours, for pupils who wish - or at least, that is the legal position. School chaplains (aumoniers) are officially appointed by the "recteur" (Chairperson) of the "académie" (Local Education Authority).

The baccalauréat: Unlike English "A levels" or Scottish "highers", the baccalaureate is a unitary exam, that pupils pass or fail. It is impossible to pass in one subject and fail in others. The only mark that counts is the final weighted average, which must be at last 10/20 for a pupil to pass. Pupils who achieve just under 10/20 are often passed by the exam board, whose decision is final. Pupils achieving betwen 8 and 10 can resit their bacalaureat as an oral exam a few weeks later. Those who get under 8/20 must retake their year, and try again.

The general Baccalaureate is organised in different "series". In their final year, all pupils specialise in function of the "series" they have chosen, of which currently there are three; the "L" series (literary studies), the "ES" series (economic and social studies), and the S" series (sciences). Each "series" includes different specialities. The role of lycées in post-baccalaureat studies is discussed on the higher education page.

There is much discussion among academics and teachers, and in the media, on the question of the "level" of today's baccalaureate. In recent years, the success rate at the Baccalaureat has been betwen 75 and 80% (with top lycées achieving 100%). Many academics complain that the baccalaureate these days is given away, and that this is a major cause of the high failure rate in the first year of university. Ministers and civil servants claim that this is not the case. This polemic, however, is not confined to France, and the arguments over the academic level of high-school leavers is one that is frequently highlighted in the media in many countries, even in Switzerland!

Part 2: Higher education

Compared to other countries, France has an unusual and complex system of higher education. In virtually all countries in the world, the pinnacle of the education system, the institutions providing the finest centres of excellence, are universities.  Not so in France. While France has close to a hundred universities, most of them able to hold their own as regards teaching and research with middle-of-the-range universities in other parts of Europe, the peak of the education pinnacle in France is represented by the country's "Grandes Ecoles", relatively small and highly selective "schools" (in the American sense of the word) which provide a cosseted higher education to the nation's future elites - tomorrow's "haut fonctionnaires" (senior civil servants), leaders of industry, top military brass, top politicians, engineers, physicists and others. In spite of the national preocupation with equality and equal opportunities, France actually has one of the most elitist higher education systems of any country.

Grandes Ecoles are very well funded, have small classes and top teaching staff; indeed they (and the lycée classes preparing students for their competitive entry exams) syphon off a disproportionate amount of the education budget - to the detriment of France's universities that are considerably underfunded, compared with international standards.

Nonetheless, despite their limited funding, French universities generally do a remarkably good job; and in terms of productivity (the ratio between investment per student, quality, and the results obtained) they must rank among the most efficient institutions of higher education in any developed country! 

Entry into higher education:

French universities are open to all "bacheliers", that is students who have passed their baccalauréat. However, while some types of degree course are open to all comers (notably courses in arts faculties and social sciences), scientific and medical courses are usually only open to students who have passed a scientific baccalauréat.

The baccalauréat is the gold standard, when it comes to getting into university; but getting into a "grande école" is a whole different ball game. Entry into many "grandes écoles" is at "bac+2" level, i.e. the level of the third year of university studies; and to get into a "grande école", many students actually stay on in Lycée for two whole years after the baccalauréat. In this respect, Lycées are also a part of the French higher education system, thanks to what is known as "les classes préparatoires".

Higher education is thus provided by three main types of institution: lycées, universities, and "grandes écoles".

Lycées: Les classes préparatoires. Lycées as institutes of higher education. Unlike high schools in virtually every other country, French lycées have a role that extends beyond the traditional end of high school. Thus, the best and biggest lycées all have two more years of classes corresponding to the first two years of higher education. The most prestigious of these are known as "les classes préparatoires" (or prépas), and are basically a highly selective alternative to the first two years of (generally unselective) university. Students in "prépa" are in small classes, and have an intense programme of studies, often over 30 hours of classes a week, plus plenty of homework; but the rewards are good, and students work hard to succeed. "Prépas" prepare their students for entry into the "grandes écoles" (see below), another aspect of the French education system that has no equivalent in other countries.

"Prépas" are the classic illustration of the traditional French approach to education, which involves a lot of book-learning, long hours in the classroom,  amassing of facts and information, and less in the way of questioning, discovery and creativity than is customary in the English-speaking countries and many others. After all, the lycée system was invented by Napoléon, as a means to train (some would say format) the educated but subservient elites who would run the nation - a task in which it has been very successful until now.  Some common prépa classes are Khâgne and Hypokhâgne (literary studies), Maths sup and Maths spé (mathematics), or Prépa HEC (business and commercial studies).

For more about French Lycées, see the Primary and secondary education page

BTS: Brevet de Technicien Supérieur. Lycées are also responsible for providing instruction for what is the equivalent of Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) in the UK, i.e. two-year higher education courses, generally technologically or vocationally oriented. BTS classes are selective entry, and as in "classes prépas", students have a heavy load of coursework to get through. The approach tends to be "scolaire", i.e. as in a school,  rather than "universitaire", and classes are small (up to 30 or so). Popular BTS courses include "mechanics", "trilingual secretairat", "tourism", and so on.

Universities. France has 82 state universities, plus 5 Catholic universities (and a large number of private "institutes", some of which award degrees.)

  State universities: The development of French state universities over the past half century has been greatly hampered by a combination of two factors: a) the very heavy role of the state in their administration and development, and b) considerable underfunding, compared to universities in other countries. After considerable delay, and opposition to reform from within the universities themselves, things are changing, and a law on the Autonomy of Universities was passed in 2007, giving greater decisional power to the Presidents (vice chancellors) of public universities - among other things.

   Universities are officially known by the name of the city in which they are located: there are thus 13 institutions called the University of Paris, numbered from 1 to XIII; most of these are actually in the suburbs. Many Universities have taken other names, which they use on all their official documents; for example the Université Blaise Pascal in Clermont Ferrand, or the Université de Provence in Aix. Universities are divided into faculties that are officially called "UFRs" (Unités de Formation et de Recherche), though the word "Faculté" is still often used - as in Faculté des Sciences or Faculté des Lettres.

    Universities also include other "components" (composantes), such as IUTs (Institut Universitaires de Technologie) which offer two-year diplomas (called DUT) and also degrees; or IAEs, (Instituts d'Administration des Entreprises) - business management institutes, with a special status, which have been set up in recent years in response to an awareness that universities had largely missed out on the massive expansion in demand for higher education business courses - demand that had been taken up (with varying degrees of academic quality) by private business schools, that have flourished throughout France.

Degrees: Universities award three types of degree, in line with the European "Bologna" system. The first degree (3 years) is the Licence, the first postgraduate degree (5 years' study) is the Masters (using the English term), and the final degree, obtained after at least eight years' study, is the Doctorate. Degree courses must all be approved by the ministry for higher education, and every four years all universities now go through a horrendously bureaucratic and time-consuming process known as "habilitation".

Grading: Degrees at Licence and Masters levels come with various grades: as throughout the French education system, marks are graded on a scale of 0 to 20, with 10 being the pass mark. A pass degree is one where the student has an average mark of between 10 and 11.99; at first degree level, the majority of students get a pass degree. From 12 upwards, students receive a "mention" : Assez Bien from 12 to 13.99, Bien from 14 to 15.99, and Très Bien from 16 upwards. Any general "mention" would tend to correspond at least to a 2:1 (upper second) degree from a UK university. In most university departments, a general 'Mention très bien" would not normally be awarded to more than 3% of students, often far less - so it is really something quite exceptional on a graduate's CV.

Graduation ceremonies do not exist in French universities. However, some university departments have introduced unofficial ceremonies, notably for Masters graduates.

 Administration: Universities, which are under the theoretical control of the local "Rectorat" (Education Authority), are run by a Board (Conseil d'Administration - CA), presided over by an elected Vice Chancellor, the "Président". Présidents d'université are elected by the CA for a period of 4 years, once renewable. The CA is made up of elected representatives of the teaching staff (about 50% of members), of administrative staff and students, plus external members representing local interests.

Private universities: According to an old French law, no private institution can call itself a "university"; but this does not stop the Catholic universities from doing so.

   Catholic universities: As with state universities, there is often an official name (such as Institut Catholique de Lyon) and the common name that most people, and the institutions themselves, use (such as Université Catholique de Lyon). Catholic universities offer the same range of degree courses as state universities, and students can freely move between the two systems.

   Other private institutions; these tend to call themselves "schools", and include some of the "grandes écoles" (see below), plus a whole range of private establishments offering business degrees, technical qualifications and other courses. To offer a "degree", a school must have its courses recognised by the Ministry, in the same way as public universities.

Les Grandes Ecoles.

These are the pinnacle of the French education system; students get in by competitive examination (concours), the institutions are relatively small, and classes in them small too. Many of the teaching staff in "grandes écoles" are professionals or else academics from neighbouring universities, who do extra teaching at rates well in excess of the hourly rate paid in universities.

The most famous Grande Ecole is "Polytechnique", also known as "X", which was founded in 1794 as a school of public engineering. It comes under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence, and students wear ceremonial military uniform, with tricorn hats, for official occasions, such as graduation. Students follow 4 years of study, including a strong general science culture, and French students have the status of army officers. Polytechnique is reputed as one of the world's top "universities", and runs exchanges with other institutions in the same league: MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, ICL, and others.

   Another very high ranking school is the Ecole Normale d'Administration, the ENA, France's top institution for the training of future senior civil servants (hauts fonctionnaires), top politicians and managers.

   Other famous Grandes Ecoles or Grands Etablissements include the Ecole des Mines, Ecole Normale Supérieure (the top institution for arts subjects, originally for training teachers for lycées), and world-class business and management schools such as HEC (Hautes Etudes Commerciales),  INSEAD (European Institute of Administration) and Sciences Po, the Institut des Etudes Politiques de Paris, an autonomous state-funded school of higher education.

Academics and Research.

Most academics in French higher education have the status of "enseignant-chercheur" (teacher-researcher), and do both teaching and research. Research in French universities has become far more structured in recent years than in the past, and nowadays all enseignants-chercheurs must belong to a "laboratory"; laboratories come in all fields, from nuclear physics to mediaeval English literature. There are two grades of tenured enseignants-chercheurs in French universities, Maîtres de conférence (corresponding to lecturers and senior lecturers) and professors.

   To gain appointment at either level, a candidate must go through an arcanely French procedure known (as for degree courses) as "habilitation". Foreign nationals can go through the habilitation process, but it is something that must be initiated at least a year before the candidate hopes to take up a teaching position. To become a professor, a maître de conférence or professor from another country, must go through an even more complex habilitation, for which it is necessary to write what amounts to a second thesis. As a consequence of this system, foreign academics – and even French academics hoping to return from abroad, notably the USA – cannot enter the French university system with anything like the ease of international mobility that exists in most other countries, another factor that has been detrimental to the development of French universities. There have been many cases of French universities finding it impossible to recruit highly qualified academics - French or foreign -  to professorships, due simply to their not having the required "habilitation", or not getting it in time.

Other teaching staff: There are two other common categories of teaching staff in French universities; those known as PRAGs (qualified secondary teachers), who have no research requirement, and ATER - the equivalent of graduate teaching assistants - who are usually completing their doctoral thesis.