Sending kids to school in France wasn’t quite how writer Gillian Harvey expected it to be when she first moved to the Limousin from the UK. Ten years later, and with five children now in the French school system, Gilian shares her expertise…

As a former teacher, I thought I was pretty clued-up when it came to all things educational. But when my first child, Lily (then 3) started school in France back in 2012, I realised that many things differ from the UK – and probably from many other countries too.

School meals

In the UK, it’s common for schools to offer the option of packed lunch or school dinners for parents to choose from. However, here packed lunches aren’t really a ‘thing.’ Instead, we have the option of sending kids to eat in the canteen or picking them up for lunch at home.

The good news is, the menu is pretty amazing. Each day our children are treated to a three course, dietitian approved meals with a set amount of local produce in the mix. And there’s not a turkey twizzler in sight – Moules frites or butternut squash soup anyone? Sometimes I read the menu and consider trying to pose as an oversized pupil to dine with the kids rather than eat the dried-up sandwich I have at home.

Dinners aren’t cheap (especially with 5), but although they can cost up to around €4 a head in my commune, they are means-tested, meaning that families who have less pay less, which can only be a good thing.

Insurance

One of the biggest shocks on sending the kids to school has been having to have insurance to cover them. What on earth could such insurance be for? I wondered. Flooding, fire or theft? Libel, when they call out the playground bully? Perhaps it protects them against disappointing exam results (you may be entitled to compensation).

School insurance covers third party liability for your child, meaning if they destroy someone else’s coat in a playground brawl, you’re covered. To me, at first, it did seem a little excessive – and I know few people who’ve actually made a claim. That said, depending on your policy, you can get cover for tuition if your child is hurt, or some recompense if your child has an accident, which sounds quite sensible.

Like all insurance, you only really know the value of having it when you need to claim. But as the policies tend to be fairly low cost (some are around €20 a year, although as with most things, the sky’s the limit if you want cover for any eventuality), it’s become just another admin job to sort out at the start of the year.

Attitude

Ever been called a swot or a boffin? Teacher’s pet? When I went to school as a pupil, I learned to hide my aptitude for some subjects to keep myself out of the bully radar. But in France, or at least in my part of Limousin, it seems that you can be top of the class without being bottom of the social pecking-order.

But like all good things, there is a flip side. In my opinion the amount of grading and testing that goes on once kids hit college is rather excessive. Marks come home almost every week, and every pupil is painfully aware of their average grade.

Testing has definitely increased in the UK since I’ve moved, so its hard to make a comparison. But in my mind, education is not just about numbers on a spreadsheet, but about encouraging young minds to be inquisitive, to explore and to develop a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

Uniform

I have a love-hate relationship with uniform. As a teacher, in the UK, I saw it as an important part of school life. It helped, I felt, to create a sense of togetherness within a school and levelled the playing field, meaning children who couldn’t afford designer clothes wouldn’t be bullied for their outfit choices.

Here, I changed my tune. I enjoyed seeing my children select their own clothes and go to school expressing their individuality. And I still find it wonderful to see the riot of colour in the primary school playground at recreation.

But now my eldest is at college, the pressure is different. Like all teens, she’s conscious of what she wears, meaning mornings can be traumatic if the right t-shirt has not yet come out of the wash.

On balance, I think I’d quite like the kids to have to wear a uniform, if only to save on the angst of early morning fashion choices.

Overall, I’m pleased with the school system here. Like all educational systems it has its faults. But certainly in my corner of Limousin, I feel my children are well taught and supported. Low population means class sizes here are small, and the schools are very much part of the local community.

And while you might have to fork out for insurance, the dinners are to die for.

Vive la différence!

Gillian Harvey is a freelance writer and author living in Limousin, France, with her husband and five children.

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American student Joel Freeman spent a year in Pau, on the edge of the Pyrénées in Aquitaine on a USAC (University Studies Abroad Consortium) study programme. France is one of the most popular study abroad options and for many students it is a life-changing experience. Going back to the US was tough to start with for Joel as he realised that his life and attitudes had changed forever in a way that for a while he felt only he could really appreciate or understand…

The stage of happiness to be home can range from one day to months after the return.  I have friends who got off the plane, returned to their homes and were unwilling to unpack, hoping that they could just somehow return.  I have friends who months after returning home felt weird, like something was missing.  And of course, I have friends who are more than happy to hold that experience abroad in their past and don’t think about it 24/7 like many people do.  It didn’t affect me personally until about a month after I returned home.

The first day I returned home was thoroughly great.  I was able to see my family and friends.  The simple sight of my parents’ home was a relief.  It was almost reassuring to see that everything remained the same; nothing and no one looked different.  My family made sausages for dinner like typical Midwesterners, and I had a domestic American beer.  What’s funny about coming home is realizing the most random things that you missed, I never once thought in my life I would miss American beer but, I will assure you that that unmistakable crisp flavor is something to cherish, even if it takes an 8 month separation.  Frankly, I didn’t do much during my first week home; I caught up with my family and friends, revisited my favorite restaurants, rekindled with my bike and watched a ton of Sports Center.  It was perhaps the most relaxed I ever felt, damn it felt good to be home.

The second week I started working again.  I worked at the same restaurants that I did every summer since I finished High School.  The problem was that there wasn’t a transition.  I remembered all of the table numbers, the menu and how to do my job.  I wanted some sort of challenge, I wanted to be put out of my comfort zone and in that sense, I wasn’t.  I expected some sort of change, especially since everything I did during my time abroad was a change, not only the fact that I was in France, speaking a different language, but everything was a change from what I was used to.  I woke up at a different time, I brushed my teeth with French toothpaste, I ate French foods, I spent time with different people, and I watched shows that I didn’t even know existed before arriving.  Everything was different then, and at home, it wasn’t—I was the one that was different.

Everything else seemed to follow the trend of normality.  My friends seemed to be doing the same thing; they were hanging out with the same people and they were still involved in the same drama.  Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that, the problem was that I had grown and matured so drastically during the time that I was abroad that I was beyond shocked to see that people who didn’t go abroad seemed to stay the same.  It was that same happiness caused by normality I experienced the first day I was back that made me agitated, confused and frankly, fed up just a few weeks later.  I felt like everyone was wasting their time.  What do you mean you don’t want to know everything I did?  Do you really not want to hear about how much I grew to love French grammar?  How can you say that you don’t care about the personal and professional transformation I experienced?  I was annoyed at anyone who didn’t give me their undivided attention.

I don’t want to tell you not to go abroad for these reasons, I loved my family and friends just as much, if not more after I returned, I just had very little tolerance.  The only friend I ever wanted to spend time with was my friend who was born in Bosnia and has been to Europe multiple time, he understood what I was going through, he’s seen the Eiffel tower, he knows what Europe is like, I could trust him.  And if I didn’t spend time with him, I wanted to be alone.  I wanted to look at Google Maps Street View at the places I used to walk around; I would read the French news thinking that for some reason the French President’s affair was of more importance than anything in the US.  I did anything to isolate myself and let my thoughts recycle themselves in my head.

Work became difficult.  I was still a good and efficient worker but, I wasn’t as happy as I used to be at work.  Old customers would ask how my time was and would ask trivial, uninterested questions like “oh, did you eat a lot of baguettes?” or they would tell me:  “I know French: Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi ce Soir? Haha”– I hated those people.  I wanted to yell at them.  I wanted to scream and tell everyone that not going abroad was a crime, a crime against humanity.  Why wouldn’t anyone understand how I felt and maybe more importantly, why did it feel like nobody seemed to care at all?

I realized as the French say “A chaqu’un son truc.”  I couldn’t continue to let these negative thoughts affect me.  So what if people didn’t care to hear my stories.  They are after all, my stories and my experiences.  Just because someone didn’t care to talk about my time abroad did not in any way make them a bad person.  Truthfully, I still struggle with this at times and I think I will never fully be relinquished of these feelings.  Yet, after those two months or so of wondering and pondering everything, I was able to truly reflect on my time abroad and fully appreciate what it did for me, even if few others did.

Joel Freeman is a Midwesterner who studied abroad in Pau, France and has a passion for international exchange, politics, language and everything French.  He spends most of his time daydreaming of the Pyrenees and one day perfecting le subjonctif.

Original article on the USAC website

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A guide to higher education in France for those who want to choose France for further studies.

Do you want to be a student in France? Every year there are more than a quarter of a million foreign students who choose France as their place of study – the big draws are the competitive tuition fees and of course the opportunity to live in a country which has so much intellectual tradition and history.  In fact in the last 10 years, the number of international students choosing France as their place of study has increased by some 75% making it the world’s 4^th most popular destination for foreign students.

If studying in France is what you want to do you will need to plan ahead – whether you are from an EU country or further afield there are certain steps that you need to take and you’ll find there’s a raft of red tape to get through and documents to provide but if France is your choice for study there’s no avoiding it.

Key figures on higher education in France

85 Public universities

224 Engineering schools

220 Business schools

291 Doctoral departments

1,200 Research laboratories

1 out of every 3 French doctoral degrees is awarded to a student from outside France.

How to be a student in France

Schools in France recognize any qualification that enables a student to get into university. The most important bit is the entrance exam and interview.

First of all you’ll need to choose a university. If you’re from outside the EU then you’ll need a visa in order to progress your application but if you’re from an EU country this isn’t required.

If you are a non-EU national you will need to register with the immigration office within 30 days of arriving in France and you will need to undergo a medical examination in order to have your visa validated.

After one year of studying, in order to remain in France you will need to apply for a carte de séjour which is a residency permit for non EU peoples.

The Language

There are many universities which offer bilingual programmes or wholly English languages programmes. French higher education institutions have started internationalizing, so that there are now more than 600 programs – from bachelor to PhD level – taught in English.

If the programme you want is in French you must have at the very least an intermediate level of French and some universities will ask for a certificate of French studies before your application will be accepted.

Degrees in France

French higher education employs the “LMD system”—licence, master, doctorate—now used throughout the European Union. The system is designed to facilitate student mobility within Europe and around the world. Licence, Master and Doctorate levels roughly correspond to Graduate (Bachelor), Post Graduate (Master) and Doctorate degrees.

Degrees are awarded on the basis of the number of years the student has completed since entering higher education and the corresponding number of ECTS credits earned.

The majority of higher education institutions in France are funded by the State and the tuition fee is a nominal amount to the student.

If the programme you want to follow is at a private education establishment, and many business schools fall into this category, then you’ll find the tuition fees rocket – particularly for non EU students.

Popular programmes with students are, quite unsurprisingly, connected with what France is best known for: fine arts, culture, cookery, pastry making and fashion design.

French business schools are also a big draw – the two most famous ones being the top-ranked Insead and HEC Paris. In addition to the usual business programs, they offer courses that are typically French, such as luxury market and fashion design management.

Living in France if you’re a student

If Paris is your study destination it’s not going to be easy to find accommodation at a reasonable price.  The city is incredibly popular with foreign students as well as everyone else and finding somewhere to live that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg is a problem.  There are student residences available in Paris but you’ll need to apply well in advance to stand a chance of getting in – it’s not easy – ask the University that you are interested in to give you details of student residences in their area.

Outside of Paris it might be possible to get a subsidised on-campus residence or close-by student accommodation. CNOUS is the national agency which runs the dormitories and you can get more information from their website.  Note that for the academic year 2012/2013 you need to apply for a scholarship and housing no later than April 30 2012.

Every student, even foreign ones, can apply for a monthly housing subsidy.

Finance and working in France while at University

Each year the French Government offers scholarships to international students – you can check these out  through the French Embassy or Consulate website in your country.

International students have the right to work while studying in France if they are enrolled in an institution which takes part in the national student health-care plan. Students who are not nationals of EU member countries must also hold a valid residency permit.  Under French law students are allowed to work up to 964 hours per annum.  Unless you already have a firm offer of a job, don’t expect finding work to be easy – you must be able to finance your stay without employment.

France is the only country in Europe which has made arrangements to offer housing assistance subsidies to international students – not just French students – based on a means testing system.  You may or may not be eligible – check on the Caisses d’Allocations Familiales (CAF) website – the agency which manages the programme of rental assistance.

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Different Types of school or college in the French Educational System

Ecole Maternelle; kindergarten or pre-school

Ecoles Maternelles take pupils from age 2 to age 6 (although in some places children under 3 are not accepted), and prepare them for entry into primary school.

French education is taken very seriously and the French école maternelle is more than just a playschool and is considered a normal part of the curriculum for students. The children develop their basic abilities, improve their language and begin to discover the world of writing, numbers and other areas of learning even sometimes a foreign language, as well as artistic and creative activities.

There are three classes, “les petits“, “les moyens” and “les grands“.

Ecole primaire, or Ecole élémentaire: primary school, grade school in France

There are five classes, ages 6 to 11. The primary school curriculum in France is similar to that of other countries and includes literacy and numeracy, with classes in French, arithmetic, but also geography and history, the arts, frequently a foreign language – usually English, as well as three hours of sport per week.

All students take 24 hours of compulsory education a week. Lessons are held Monday through Friday, or four days, nine half-days, including Wednesday morning.

There is no class on Saturday morning these days. Additional support is available for students in the form of two hours of personal assistance per week as well as weekly refresher courses during school holidays.

Collège: middle school in France

Middle school or secondary school is called a college in France. There are four levels, ages 11 – 15. All pupils go to collège, usually at age 11; occasionally a child may start at a later age if he/she has been made to repeat a year in primary school.

The collège is designed to provide all pupils with a fundamental secondary education, after which a certain degree of specialisation will be introduced.  Emphasis is placed on:

Mastering the French language

Mathematics

Modern languages

Languages ​​and cultures of ancient

History, Civics, Geography

Life Sciences and Earth

Physical Chemistry

Technology

Music education and arts

Physical Education and Sports (EPS)

Art History

Computers and Internet

There are additional courses available to children wishing to follow vocational programmes – you should discuss this with the school administration staff.

Children will be expected to take an exam on completing college –  The National Certificate (Le Diplôme National du Brevet) – an evaluation of knowledge and skills acquired at the end of the college.

Lycée: High School in France

The traditional French high school covers the last three years of secondary tutoring in the French education system.   At the end of the final year of schooling, most students take the baccalauréat diploma.

There will be more choice of lycée in large towns and cities.

Lycées are divided into three types of school:

Lycée général (or lycée classique), leading to two or more years of post–baccalauréat studies; in France, the lycée général is the usual stepping stone to university degrees.

The second type is the lycée technologique, leading to short-term studies.  Pupils in a lycée technique may start to specialise in a quite narrow technical field, in addition to their general secondary studies. There are technical lycées specialising in areas such as microtechnologies or aeronautics.

Lycée professionnel, a vocational qualification leading directly to a particular career, providing essentially a non-academic syllabus for young people intending to work in manual or clerical jobs.

Pupils will either work towards a “baccalauréat professionnel” (bac pro), for which they will need to continue taking classes in the main academic subjects – French, maths, and frequently a foreign language), a BEP (Brevet d’enseignement professionnel), or a CAP (certificat d’aptitude professionnel).

A common category of Lycée pro, is the “lycée du bâtiment” or building trades lycée, where pupils specialise in one of the many trades of the building and construction sector.

In rural areas it’s common to find agricultural high schools, “lycées agricoles” and even horticultural high schools, “lycées horticoles“, providing the technical education required more and more by tomorrow’s farmers and gardeners.

Private and public schools in France

Most people outside France believe that pretty much all schools in France are state schools, i.e. in the public sector.

Although private education is less common than in some countries there are private schools available, most of them are state aided and the majority are Catholic schools in which religious instruction is on the curriculum there is no formal teaching of religion in state schools in France but it may take place after hours, for pupils who wish – at least in theory.

If this is important to you and your family you should discuss what is available with the administrators of the school you are considering.

The baccalaureate is considered a unitised exam and pupils pass or fail – it’s not possible to pass in one subject and fail in others. The only mark that counts is the final weighted average, which must be at least 50% for a pupil to pass

School holidays

School holiday dates may vary from region to region, it’s best to check directly with the school administrators or check the education.gouv.fr website directly for information.

Don’t forget to check for requirements for school insurance – it is mandatory in France to have insurance cover for your children.

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When you enrol your children into the French educational system, you will be required to provide various forms of identification and paperwork.  You may well not be used to having to provide this amount of documentation in your own country so to help you here’s our guide to what you need to do to prepare to send your children to school in France

Documentation required to enrol your child in a school in France

Birth certificate (extrait de l’acte de naissance)

Proof of parents identity – this can be passport or carte d’intentité

Utility bill as proof of your home address

Carnet de Santé or other official health record to confirm that your child has been vaccinated against tuberculosis (BCG), diphtheria, tetanus and polio

Proof of legal guardianship if parents are divorced – you may not be asked for this but be prepared.

English language documents may also need to be professionally translated if the school requires that.

School uniforms in France

French children do not wear a school uniform.  They are allowed to wear casual clothing to school although anything too unusual would be frowned upon.  Religious clothing of any kind is banned in schools in France.

For more information about the school curriculum click here to go to our detailed section on Schools

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If you have children and are moving to France our guide to the French education system will help you with the choices available to you if you choose not to leave the kids back home to complete their education.

Education is compulsory in France from the ages of 6 to 16, but many children start school before the minimum age, often as young as two years old, and around half of all 18-21 year olds in France stay in full-time education, or undertake a vocational training course.

More than two thirds of French school children complete their secondary education, and take the high-school leaving certificate examinations, known as the baccalauréat or the baccalauréat professionnel.

Education in France is free but students do have to buy their own text books and stationery.  Education is taken very seriously and the emphasis is on hard work – competition is fierce among pupils.

Truancy is taken seriously in France and can result in criminal sanctions being bought against parents who have not worked with the school to resolve issues.

You can find lots of information on the education.gouv.fr website about schools, the process for sending a child to school and helpful parental guides to help your child make the most of his or her education. 

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