Education in France – Introduction
French state education is well organised, well funded and with generally average to high standards in comparison to other European countries.
Since 1967, school has been obligatory for all children between the ages of 6 and 16. The school going community of about 13 million pupils is educated through a unified system, the general structure of which (schools, lower secondary schools and lycées) was gradually established in the 1960s and 1970s. Since the 1970s, France has also witnessed a salient development in pre-school education; all children aged between three and five years can attend nursery schools
The French system is complemented by a comprehensive network of private schools including international schools. Most of the private schools are supervised by the Ministry of Education and account for about 15% of pupils in primary education and 20% in secondary education, the bulk of which has remained stable in the past decade. Many schools are run by the Catholic church in partnership with the State (which pays the teachers). Private schools with no such contracts account for less than 50,000 pupils and depend on considerable financial contributions by families.
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Nursery Schools in France
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Nursery Schools in France (maternelle)
Whilst attendance at Nursery school is optional in France, attendance levels are high with around 30% of children aged two and nearly 100% by the age of four attending Ecole Maternelle.
School is divided into:
Les petites: 2-4 years old
Les moyens: 4-6 years old
Les grands: 5-6 years old
Note that the years from three to six form part of the Educational Cycles.
Nursery schools can be found in most villages or as part of the local Primary School. Hours are generally from 8.30/9.00 to 11.30/12.00 a.m. and 1.30/2.00 to 4.00/4.30 p.m. As is becoming normal with Primary Schools, there is no school on Wednesday. Children may attend for half-days initially. Lunches (normally very good) are served at the school for a small fee, typically around €1.50 – 2.50.
Nursery school is designed to introduce children to the social environment of school and to help develop the basic skills of coordination. School encourages the development of self-awareness and provides an introduction to group activities and exercises, including arts and crafts, music, games, listening skills etc. During the later years of nursery school the rudiments of reading writing and arithmetic are taught in preparation for Primary school.
Categories: Education Tags: Ecole Maternelle, Education, EUR, France, Primary School