Getting an Education in France
Parlez vous francais?
France is one of the most populated countries in Europe, with more than 66 million people, out of which around 90% lives in the metropolitan area of the European country. This number of population however, while still growing, it is doing do at an ever decreasing rate, and France’s population under 25 is now of just 19 million, far less than last decade. This decreasing rate of youngsters however, hasn’t affected the French education level, which is still among the top of the region and which is known to heavily influence the living standards of people in every country, especially in one like France, which boasts one of the highest income levels per citizen with around 22,000 Euros, an income level that is possible thanks on the most part to the education offered to the French population.
Of all the 66 million people that inhabit France, around a quarter of them (16 million people) are pupils and students fully integrated into the French education system, while only around 2 million are undertaking higher education.
Education spending is another important factor to measure the overall situation of education in a country, and in this respect, France stands around the middle when compared to the rest of Europe, with countries like Sweden and Denmark being the ones that spend the most on education in Europe, and France spending around 1.33 billion Euros on it every year, the equivalent to around 7.5% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product). This moderate spending has nonetheless, yielded very positive results, with
France’s unemployment rate being stable well below of 9%.
Now that we know its importance, let’s take a look at the situation of education in France.
- Unified education: Contrary to what can be found on some other countries, the French education system offers a three-level educational system, where student first go through primary school, then to secondary school, and then undertake any form of higher education, which can be any particular University, a 1 or 2 year course or an Institute. This compartmentalized system makes instruction procedures far more streamlined, which in turn achieves a very even level of education across all France.
- Pre-school initiatives: A very important advancement when it comes to pre-school initiatives implemented by the Government since the 70’s is that all pre-school students can assist to nursery classes.
- Compulsory primary education: since more than 40 years ago, France has made primary education for all children between 6 and 16 years compulsory, implementing more than 60,000 schools around the country specially targeted at providing primary school education to children up to 5 years old. These schools have special teaching systems in place that makes the transition from primary to secondary school very smooth for students.
- Secondary school transition: Differently from primary school, secondary education in France is not mandatory, but it is given the exact same importance as primary education. Once in secondary school, children from 11 to 15 years all attend regular lessons regardless of their skill level or different achievements. However, after the 15 years of age, children are required to go attend either a general, a technical or a vocational “lycee”, which are institutions that help children determine their careers by focusing in their areas of interest, while at the same time preparing them for the Higher education entrance examinations that they will undertake at the age of 18.
- Streamlined decision-making: Whenever it is necessary to make a decision about any particular (or many) pupil/s, France has implemented a very streamlined process that involves all concerned parties, including parents and even pupils themselves. This “committee”, which is also known traditionally as the Class Council, can handle such decisions related to students as: repeating years, moving up to a higher year due to proven academic ability, changing courses and others. Also each school provides parents, teachers and pupils with specialized advisors that can better orient them with any doubt they might have when facing these or other scenarios.
- Mandatory (and progressive) transition policies: Once students in France reach the last year of secondary school, they can start choosing some specific subjects that interest them and that they would like to pursue in their search for their career. On top of that, one of the most beneficial measures that the French Government has implemented is the compulsory study of not one, but at least two foreign languages, each to be started 3 and 1 year before finishing secondary school respectively.
- Special cases: While the great majority of students attend traditional schools under the administration of the Ministry of National Education, there are more than 600,000 students who go to other types of schools, which have different sets of regulations. First, there are more than 100,000 pupils who suffer from various disabilities and who need to attend special schools under the regulation of the Ministry of Health, then there are 200,000+ students that choose instead to go to vocational and technical courses, which provide them with a technical degree in just 2 or three years at most. And lastly, there are around 300,000 pupils who start going into apprenticeships that prepare them for “real life”, although, being underage; they are not treated under the same regulations and conditions as adult workers.
Of special note is the introduction on the part of the French Government, of “specialist” classes implemented at most schools, but more prominently at special schools attended by pupils who suffer from either behavioral or emotional problems or who are simply slow learners. These specialist classes help children adapt and find their vocation in order to be brought back to the main French educational system.
To learn more about living, investing, working and traveling in France, please request our Complimentary Guide to France. CLICK HERE
The French state education system is extremely highly regarded, both at home and also on an international level. To give a brief overview of the system, it is divided into:
- Nursery schools (Ecole Maternelle)
- Primary schools (Ecole Primaire)
- Secondary schools, starting with College (College) until age 15.
- At this point, the next step depends on a child’s exam results. Top students go to High school (Lycee) to study for the Baccalaureat qualification, others attend Vocational College. Most children in France continue in education beyond age 16.
The French higher-education system has a number of features that make it very successful and attractive for students. In particular, a wide range of institutions are available: universities, “grandes écoles,” and specialist schools.
Studying French
How you structure your French-language-study program is a very personal decision. And, there are almost limitless places to study. Some things to consider when beginning your study are:
- Do you want to study at home or in France?
- Do you want to study full or part time?
- What type of French do you need to learn (general, business, technical, etc.)?
- What is your desired fluency level for speaking French?
- What do you expect to pay for your learning?
There are excellent private schools (écoles privées) for anyone wishing to study in France. Private schools include parochial, bilingual, international and a wide range of foreign schools, including US and British schools.
- The Office de Documentation et d’Information de l’Enseignement Privé (ODIEP, 01 43 29 90 70) provides information about private schools from nursery to university level.
- UNAPEL (01 53 73 73 90) provides information about parochial schools.
- The Centre National de Documentation sur l’Enseignement Privé (01 47 05 32 68) publishes a list of all French private schools.
The Best French Universities
The French higher-education system offers both short and long-term programs. Short programs, two-three years, basically focus students on the industrial, commercial and service sectors.
Long programs, term lengths vary, are offered by the universities and “grandes écoles”. These focus students on specialization in their subject area (research).
According to the Study Abroad organization, the universities that continually rank in the top 10 are:
- College of France
- Ecole Normale Super
- Ecole Polytechnique
- University of Bordeaux I
- University of Grenoble I
- University of Lyon I
- University of Montpellier II
- University of Paris IV
- University of Paris VI
- University of Paris VII
Study Pros and Cons
Here are some important considerations when deciding to study in France:
Pros:
- Excellent education programs
- Low tuition and fees compared to other major countries
- Foreigners are welcome
- Safe environment
- Enjoying the French culture
Cons:
- Basic knowledge of French is usually required
- Visa and enrollment procedures can be complex and time consuming
- Some degrees do not transfer to some other countries
- Finding work for tuition and other expenses is currently difficult for non-national and non-EU based students
- Homesickness
To learn more about living, investing, working and traveling in France, please request our Complimentary Guide to France. CLICK HERE
