Our family moved to France several years ago when my children were 12 and 14 years old. It was the pivoted moment and we made the decision to change our life. It also referred to the education of our children. Below my attitude to French education is described.
The educational system of France consists of four elements – maternelle, c. m., Colleges and Licees.
Children begin to go to school when they are three. At the age of eleven, they go to college and study there till fourteen. After it they go to Lycee. Usually small towns and villages have their own c. m.`s and matelnelles. But the colleges are usually situated in big cities and children from small towns have to live in “internat” which is supervised by educators and teachers.
After graduation from the college, pupils have to pass the special exam which is called Brevet and includes three subjects: math, French and sciences. Many people think that Brevet is the equivalent of GCSE, but it is not. It is not an essential requirement for further education but is desirable to pass this exam.
The children do not automatically turn into next class. If the child does not have enough knowledge and skills, the teachers can recommend him to repeat the program of the current academic year. This means that in each class of the College, there is a spread of ages. It means that the duration of studying depends on the eagerness and abilities of the child.
There are many formalities in the French educational system. Children have to stand up when the teacher comes into the room. The lessons are full of communications. Usually children are free on Wednesdays and they can devote this day to rest and entertainments. Pupils have to study several languages such as English, French, Latin, Spanish and Occitan). The educational process is supervised by the controllers and teachers.
The educational system in France is much more saturated than in other countries.
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