1. Education in
France
Kindergarten,
Elementary school,
High school,
University
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2. Introduction
France: 66 million inhabitants
A population which is getting
older
Proportion of young people
– 25 % around 1970
– 20 % in 1990
– 19 % Today (2011)
3. Educational structure
15 Million pupils attend school in France
General structure:
– Pre-school classes: from 2 to 5 years-old. « La maternelle » is more
classes
than a playschool. It prepares children to enter the primary school.
– Primary school for 6 to 11 years-old. It is dedicated to basic skills.
– « Collège » from 12 to 15 years-old. It’s a mixed-ability school for all
pupils regardless of their level of achievement.
– When the children reach 16, school attendance becomes optional
4. Secondary school
After 16, pupils are offered 3 possibilities :
– Leaving school and finding a job
– Entering a vocational school to develop technical skills
so as to be directly employed in the working world later
(Construction or agricultural sector, IT Industry…)
– Entering a General high school or a technical one :
these prepare the pupils for the corresponding
baccalauréat examinations. « Le Bac » as it be called in
France is taken by pupils when they reach age 18.
5. University Cursus
From 2002, French
University was reorganized
to adapt to the European
standards
Students are now offered a
common cursus in all the
European countries and in
any subjects they choose.
(medicine, law,
languages…)
6. Merleau-Ponty
High School
1200 pupils
Preparing either / or
– a sciences series Bac (S) 28%
– a social and economic studies series bac (ES) 27%
– a literary series studies bac (L) 18%
– a business management series bac (STG) 27%
7. The baccalauréat
Final high school exam
Taken in June
To pass, pupils must get at least 10/20 average mark
Impossible to pass in one subject and fail in others
Is needed to enter university (but no interviews are
needed to be accepted at university)
Success rate is about 80%
If pupils fail, they repeat the last year.
In 2012, pupils will take a new exam, very different from
the one they take today with tests all along the final
school year.