How do you choose your school? The enrolment of pupils in state schooling is based on a catchment area principle: pupils are normally registered in the primary school, collège or lycée of the geographical area in which their parents live. State education is free of charge. Parents who so wish may register their child in private education, freely choosing their school provided that places are available. Fees in private schools that have entered into a contract with the State are not usually very high, as a result of the substantial state funding received by these institutions. What education do you receive? The education ministry determines school curricula and the aims underlying the acquisition of knowledge and skills by pupils. Teachers choose their own teaching methods and school textbooks. The ‘elementary’ school curriculum concentrates on the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as on physical education (normal motor skills, etc.) and enhancing awareness and sensitivity. The lower secondary education curriculum consists of eight or nine compulsory subjects depending on the year of study, and becomes increasingly diversified with the inclusion of optional subjects.

• Upper secondary education (lycées)

On completion of collège, pupils are offered three educational options:    - general studies which after three years (the so-called ‘second’, ‘first’ and ‘final’ classes) lead to the general baccalaureate;    - technological studies which lead to the technological baccalaureate, also after three years;    - vocational training which, after two years, leads to the certificat d'aptitude professionnelle (CAP) or the brevet d'études professionnelles (BEP) and then, after a further two years, to the baccalauréat professionnel. How do you choose your school? Basically, the enrolment of pupils is also is based on the catchment area principle described above. However, there may be exceptions, as the options you choose may not be available in the lycée you’re supposed to study in. In such a case, you should contact directly some schools that offer the options you want and may accept your enrolment, depending on places available. What education do you receive? At the lycée d’enseignement général et technologique, which caters for pupils who have chosen either of the first two possibilities, provision lasts three years consisting of the ‘second’, ‘first’ and ‘final’ classes, and leads to the baccalaureate examination. Basic subjects in the first year of the lycées généraux et technologiques are French, mathematics, physics/chemistry, life and earth sciences, foreign language 1, history/geography, physical education and sport, supplemented by two further subjects that must be chosen by pupils. Only on completion of this first year, common to all pupils, do the latter choose the type of baccalaureate they intend to work towards: this may be one of the three general categories (economic and social, literary, or scientific) or one of seven technological categories. Information on vocational training may be found in the “Vocational Education” section.  

What about foreign pupils?

If you want to study in France in a primary or a secondary school, it may be quite difficult. The one thing to remember is that the final decision belongs to the Rectorat, i.e the local authority for education.  If your family settles in France definitively (or at least for some years), you will be able to enrol in a French school on the same conditions as French pupils. In addition, you will receive a special help from the Rectorat (included language courses). If you want to come on your own to study in France, you should contact a specialized organization. Some offer one-year stays in a French school, with accommodation provided by a voluntary family (see addresses below). As your last chance, try to contact private schools, they may accept foreign pupils whose parents do no reside in France. You will find a list of private schools on: www.fabert.com (in the “recherche d’école” section). Source: Eurydice Photos: © F. de la Mure / Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs