Understand the French school system in 5 minutes

In France, schooling is compulsory from age 3 to 16. The Jules Ferry laws of 1881 and 1882 obliged the French state to provide free, secular education for all. The French Ministry of Education therefore offers a single curriculum, followed by the 12,409,900 students who started the new school year in September 2018.

In order to introduce the French school system, we will present the 3 types of schools that exist in France, then the 4 main stages of schooling, which are themselves divided into educational cycles.‍

There are 3 types of schools in France:

Firstly, public schools, which are schools run by the state. These schools are free and secular, and are obliged to accept all children within a given school zone. The curriculum taught is that dictated by the Education Nationale.

80% of students are in public schools.

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There are private schools under contract with the State. This contract, which binds the school to the State, obliges the school to follow the curriculum and general rules laid down by the Education Nationale. Teachers in private schools under contract are assigned to the schools by the Éducation Nationale, and their remuneration is paid by the State. Through their contract with the State, these schools receive financial support from the State. Private schools under contract are therefore neither free nor necessarily secular - 97% of these establishments are Catholic schools. Nonetheless, as these schools are under contract with the State, they deliver the French national education curriculum.

19% of students attend public schools under contract.

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Finally, some schools are known as "hors contrat" private schools. This means that these schools are not obliged to follow the curriculum or pace of the French national education system. Non-contractual schools therefore have greater freedom in terms of teaching methods, but receive no financial support from the State. As a result, the recruitment and remuneration of teachers is the responsibility of the school. These include most bilingual schools, Montessori schools, eco-responsible schools and so on.

Approximately 0.5% of students are enrolled in non-contractual schools.

école M is a private preschool with no government contract. Teachers are free to choose their own teaching methods(école M's pedagogical project), but follow the French Education Nationale curriculum.

The schooling is done in 4 stages:

1. ‍Preschool(3-6 years): preschools are divided into 3 classes that are petite section, moyenne section, and grande section. These 3 classes make up cycle 1, which aims to deliver the first learnings (exploring the world, mobilizing language, etc).
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2. Elementary(ages 6-11): these schools are divided into 5 classes: CP, CE1, CE2, CM1 and CM2. The CP, CE1 and CE2 classes make up Cycle 2, which is the cycle of fundamental learning. During these three years, pupils learn to read, write and count. The CM1, CM2 and 6ème classes form cycle 3, which is the consolidation of knowledge. Preschool and elementary school make up elementary school (ages 3-11).
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3. Secondary school(11-15 years): Secondary school classes provide an opportunity to deepen the knowledge acquired. The 6ème class marks the end of Cycle 3, while the 5ème, 4ème and 3ème classes form Cycle 4, the final pedagogical cycle of the French national education system. The major difference for students entering scondary school is that they have one teacher per subject (compared with one teacher per class in preschool and primary school). The collège years culminate in a national exam, the Brevet, which certifies the knowledge and skills acquired).
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4. ‍Highschool(ages 15-17): there are 2 types of highschool in France: the general and technological highschool, which caters for the vast majority of students, and the professional highschool, which enables students to make an immediate commitment to the professional world through teaching alternating with work placements. Seconde, Première and Terminale make up the 3 classes of highschool. In Terminale, students sit the baccalauréat, which marks the end of 15 years of schooling. Students then have the choice of continuing their studies in higher education (university, preparatory classes, business school, etc.) or entering the workforce directly.