INCA Education around the world
France : Education Structure (ages 3-19)
3.2 Educational phases (ages 3 - 19)
3.2.1 First phase: Pre-compulsory, age 2 - 6
3.2.1.1 Admissions criteria
3.2.1.2 Length of school year (in days) and day (in hours)
3.2.2 Second phase: Primary, age 6 - 11
3.2.2.1 Admissions criteria
3.2.2.2 Length of school year (in days) and day (in hours)
3.2.3 Third phase: Lower secondary, age 11 - 15
3.2.3.1 Admissions criteria
3.2.3.2 Length of school year (in days) and day (in hours)
3.2.4 Fourth phase: Upper secondary, age 15 - 18
3.2.4.1 Admissions criteria
3.2.4.2 Length of school year (in days) and day (in hours)
3.2 Educational phases (ages 3 - 19)
An educational phase is a stage in the child's education which is normally defined by legislation or regulation and is characterised by the age of students, school type and curriculum and assessment arrangements. The curriculum and assessment framework in this archive is related to these phases.
There are four main phases of education in France:
- Pre-compulsory, ages 2 - 6, phase 1
Compulsory education starts at age 6 and ends at 16 - Primary (known as 'elementary'), ages 6 - 11, phase 2
- Lower secondary, ages 11 - 15, phase 3
- Upper secondary, ages 15 - 18, phase 4 (only the first year of upper secondary education is compulsory)23
3.2.1 First phase: Pre-compulsory, age 2 - 6
Pre-compulsory, pre-school education constitutes the:
| First learning cycle and year one of the |
Children aged 2-5 |
| Basic learning cycle | Children aged 5-6 |
Pre-compulsory, pre-school education is known as pre-elementary education in France (enseignement préélémentaire) to underline that this stage precedes the elementary (primary) stage and is in itself part of the education system leading to university.61
Pre-compulsory education is optional between the ages of 2 and 6. That is, parents have a right to ask for it, although for 2-year-olds it may not always be available.61 A place must, however, be made available for any 3-year-old child whose family requests it, either in a nursery school (école maternelle) or an infant class (classe enfantine) attached to a/in an elementary school, as near as possible to his/her home. Legislation also determines that priority in accessing pre-school places should be given to 2-year-olds living in socially underprivileged areas such as inner city, rural or mountainous regions.10
Attendance at public-sector nursery schools is free of charge, and funded by central government, through the commune. They are co-educational and non-denominational. In private-sector nursery schools parents pay school fees. 23,54
Nursery schooling is the responsibility of the national Ministry of Education, although local authorities are responsible for providing non-teaching staff, lunch and supervision during the break in the middle of the day.10
Daycare facilities also exist for 0- to 3-year-olds. These are well-developed in terms of ratios and trained staff and are available for the majority of parents. The tax system favours this, as do means-tested charges. Crèches collectives, registered childminders (nourrices) and haltes garderies (where a child can be left for short periods) come under the authority of the Ministry of Social Affairs. Daycare is not only used to facilitate the employment of women, but also to socialise children. Non-working mothers often use haltes garderies and childminders as part of early years development.61
Jardins d'enfants, where available, also offer care for 2- to 6-year-olds, so there is some choice between childcare and education for this age group. The staff ratio is 1:8 and parents pay.61
Where pre-elementary provision is not provided by one of the forms of daycare or childcare listed above, or in a specific nursery school or infant class, alternative forms of provision may be offered in:
- 'Infants sections' which are integrated into elementary schools. These take children aged 5 and, in some cases, with the permission of the National Education Inspector and where places and teaching organisation allow, children aged 4 may also be admitted.
- Inter-commune nursery schools. These provide a solution for several communes which join together to provide a sufficient number of children to open a nursery class.
- Half-time classes, offered either as half days or for one day in two. This formula allows children to receive the essential grounding in early education. They spend the rest of the time in the family.
- 'Ambulatory' (peripatetic) classes in sparsely populated areas. Nursery schools and infant classes in rural or mountainous areas are provided with assistance from mobile teams for organisation and academic liaison. A school teacher or elementary school teacher in a lorry equipped with audio-visual material and teaching documents makes regular trips around the small, isolated schools in the sector for which it is responsible.26
France has a long tradition of providing pre-school education and, for this reason, more than 99 per cent of children aged 3 attend school. All French 4- and 5-year-olds tend to be in some form of pre-elementary provision.10
3.2.1.1 Admissions criteria
Children who have reached the age of 2 by the first day of the school year (1 September)23 (and possessing the physiological and psychological maturity and state of health compatible with the group conditions characteristic of the school environment),58 can be admitted to nursery schools and infant classes if space is available.23 Children whose second birthday occurs between the first day of school and December 31 of that same calendar year may exceptionally be accepted under the same conditions.58 Legislation further determines that, at age 3, every child should be able to attend a nursery school or an infant class as close as possible to his/her home at the request of his/her family. 23,10
Legislation also states that priority should be given to providing school places for 2-year-olds living in socially underprivileged areas such as inner city, rural or mountainous areas. The Ministry of Education has designated certain geographical areas 'education priority zones' (zones d'éducation prioritaires or ZEPs). Children in these zones are offered, where possible, maternelle education from age 2 for social reasons, e.g. to learn French in preparation for the school system. Children with special educational needs and foreign children are also offered places in pre-elementary education at age 2, where conditions allow, in order to facilitate their integration as quickly as possible. 61,10
Parents must register their children at their local town hall (mairie) for entry to an école maternelle. Places are then allocated on a strictly geographical/sectorial basis and there is generally no parental choice. There are, however, in Paris in particular, many demands by parents for transfer to more socially or academically desirable schools (demandes de dérogation), suggesting a lack of satisfaction with allocation criteria. These requests are common at pre-compulsory, primary, secondary and university levels. If the parents of a pre-compulsory or primary age child would prefer their child to attend a school other than that of their place of residence, but still within their commune, they must ask their mayor for permission to change school sectors. If they choose a school in another commune, they must apply to the mayor of that commune, who may allow the change on condition that the permission of the mayor of the commune of residence is obtained. 61,26
Once parents have requested that their child is able to attend nursery school and the local mairie has given its permission, the headteacher enrols the child once the following documents have been supplied:
- Birth certificate.
- Health certificate from the family doctor.
- Health records providing proof that the child has received the compulsory vaccinations for his/her age.
- An enrolment certificate which is provided by the mayor of the commune in which the school is situated.26
3.2.1.2 Length of school year (in days) and day (in hours)
School week and day
Nursery school is usually attended on a full-time basis, that is for about eight hours a day and nursery schools in France (écoles maternelles) are mostly open more than seven or eight hours a day, but only in term-time.80 (Term time usually consists of 36 weeks of classes throughout the school year.)22 Half-time classes are, however, available in some areas of the country and, where children attend full-time, many still have an afternoon 'siesta' up to age 6.
Schools usually close on Wednesday, as well as on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday.22
School holidays
The Minister for National Education determines the dates of school holidays in each of the three zones in metropolitan France. There are three distinct zones - A, B and C - to ensure staggered holidays. 23,26
The three-term school year starts in early September and the first holiday period (around 10 days) is generally around late October/early November (All Saints' holiday), followed by a second, of two weeks, over Christmas and the New Year. These holidays are identical for the three zones. The beginning of the winter holiday (two weeks) is then staggered according to zone, over the month of February; the spring holiday (two weeks) is similarly staggered over two weeks, beginning in April. Summer holidays are the same for the three zones and begin at the end of June. (There is a special calendar for Corsica and the overseas départements.)26
French school term dates are approved by the Higher National Education Council, but may be modified to take local circumstances into account. Term dates are based on the following approach:
- The definition of the optimum lengths of time children need to spend working and resting.
- They also bear in mind the recommendations of experts, the experience of teachers and children, and the constraints of the current operation of the school system. The objective is to maintain a regular level of study throughout the year.10
Details of the school term dates are available online: http://www.education.gouv.fr/pid184/le-calendrier-scolaire.html
School holiday information also confirms that:
- All teachers start the school year two days before students.
- All classes finish at the end of June and do not encroach into July.125
The first term of the French school year (September to December) is seen by some to very long and hard. In early 2002, the Ministry of Education decided to reopen the debate on the organisation of the school year. These new discussions aimed to create a school year which is characterised by increased balance between study periods and holidays. In the first instance and, as an indication of this, it was announced that, with effect from the 2002-2003 school year, the first holiday period of the year (October half-term, known as "Toussaint") would be extended to last for ten days and cover two full weekends. As a result, the autumn term (September to December) now generally comprises two seven-week periods separated by ten days' holiday.138
3.2.2 Second phase: Primary, age 6 - 11
State-funded primary schools (known as elementary schools/écoles élémentaires) cater for children aged 6 to 11. Attendance is compulsory and free of charge, and the education provided is co-educational and secular.23
Elementary schools comprise five classes divided into two cycles:
- The basic learning cycle: begins in the upper section (last year) of nursery school (children aged 5-6) and continues in the first two years of elementary school.
- The consolidation cycle: covers the final three years (CE2, CM1 and CM2) of elementary school before admission to the collège. (CE2 = Cours Elémentaire 2, CM1 = Cours Moyen 1, CM2 = Cours Moyen 2).28
The organisation of primary education presents particular problems in sparsely-populated areas such as rural and mountainous regions. Schools are therefore sometimes restructured in such areas with children from several communes being grouped together, or children at different levels of education being grouped together.28
3.2.2.1 Admissions criteria
Children start école élémentaire in the September of the calendar year when they become 6.26
School places are generally allocated on a strictly geographical/sectorial basis and, as a rule, parents are required to enrol their children in the school area in which they live. Exceptions can, however, be granted, allowing parents to send their children to another school of their choice. In Paris, in particular, there are many demands by parents for transfer to more socially or academically desirable schools (demandes de dérogation), suggesting a lack of satisfaction with allocation criteria. These requests are common at pre-compulsory, primary, secondary and university levels. If the parents of a pre-compulsory or primary age child would prefer their child to attend a school other than that of their place of residence, but still within their commune, they must ask their mayor for permission to change school sectors. If they choose a school in another commune, they must apply to the mayor of that commune, who may allow the change on condition that the permission of the mayor of the commune of residence is obtained. 23,61,26
Headteachers are not generally involved in the admissions process. The entire process is carried out by officials at the académie (the regional educational headquarters). The criteria used are ranked in order and applied to the list of applicants for each school until the number of places available is filled.11
3.2.2.2 Length of school year (in days) and day (in hours)
School year/week/day
At primary level, the school week is organised by the inspecteur d'académie (the director of département services for national education), although (both in primary and secondary education) school starting and finishing times may be modified by the mayor of the locality (dependent on the local situation). There are usually 180 days, or 36 weeks, of classes in the school year (between September and June) and elementary school children attend classes for 26 hours per week. From the beginning of the academic year in 2008, this will be reduced to 24 hours, with the remaining two hours being used to provide support for children facing the greatest difficulties. 191
Previously schools were open six days a week (Monday-Saturday), but no classes are held on Wednesdays or on Saturday afternoons. It is envisaged that the new 24 hour week will be six hours a day on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. However, the local inspecteur d'académie may modify the weekly timetable, at the request of the majority of the members of the school governing board and after consultation with the recteur. The school week may not include schools days longer than six hours or teaching on a Saturday. 191
School holidays
The school calendar is fixed by the Minister for National Education, who also determines the dates of school holidays in each of the three zones in metropolitan France. There are three distinct zones (A, B and C) to ensure staggered holidays.26
The three-term school year starts in early September and the first holiday period (10 days) is generally in late October/early November (All Saints' holiday), followed by a second, of two weeks, over Christmas and the New Year. These holidays are identical for the three zones. The beginning of the winter holiday (two weeks) is then staggered according to zone,over the month of February. The spring holiday also lasts for two weeks and is staggered across the three zones, beginning in April. Summer holidays are the same for the three zones and begin at the end of June. (There is a special calendar for Corsica and the overseas départements.)26
French school term dates are approved by the Higher National Education Council, but may be modified to take local circumstances into account. Term dates are based on the following approach:
- The definition of the optimum lengths of time children need to spend working and resting.
- They also bear in mind the recommendations of experts, the experience of teachers and children, and the constraints of the current operation of the school system. The objective is to maintain a regular level of study throughout the year.10
Details of the school term dates are available online: http://www.education.gouv.fr/pid184/le-calendrier-scolaire.html
School holiday information also confirms that:
- All teachers start the school year two days before students.
- All classes finish at the end of June and do not encroach into July.
- All elementary school students begin the school year on Thursdays. 125
The first term of the French school year (September to December) is seen by some to very long and hard. In early 2002, the Ministry of Education decided to reopen the debate on the organisation of the school year. These new discussions aimed to create a school year with more balance between study periods and holidays. In the first instance and, as an indication of this, it was announced that, with effect from the 2002-2003 school year, the first holiday period of the year (October half-term, known as "Toussaint") would be extended to last for ten days and cover two full weekends. As a result, the autumn term (September to December) now generally comprises two, seven-week periods separated by ten days' holiday.138
3.2.3 Third phase: Lower secondary, age 11 - 15
In secondary education (lower and upper), classes are numbered downwards from six (sixième) up to one (première) and the final year of Baccalauréat studies is called terminale.
Secondary education begins in the collège. This is a comprehensive institution admitting all students for the first four years of compulsory lower secondary education; students aged 11 to 15 in the sixième, cinquième, quatrième and troisième classes. (Secondary education then continues in a general and technological lycée (LEGT) or a vocational lycée (lycée professionnel, LP), offering upper secondary education for students aged 15+ to around the age of 18, for whom only the first year, the seconde is compulsory, see 3.2.4 for further details).23
Collèges are local authority public-sector schools with legal and financial autonomy. The education provided is free, co-educational and secular.23
There are some specialist collège options, as follows:
Sports sections
Created in 1974, sports sections offer gifted students a timetable enabling them to pursue their normal collège classes in order to obtain their qualifications, while at the same time providing them with the physical training required if they are to practise their sport at high level and participate in competitions. There are two levels of recruitment into the various categories of sports sections: at national level, athletes belonging or likely to belong to French national teams are grouped together; at regional level, a pool of talent which participates in regional events and can also supply the national level is grouped together.26
Bilingual sections
There are French/German, French/English, French/Spanish, French/Italian, French/Russian and French/Portuguese sections in some collèges (and lycées). These are characterised by more intensive practice in the language (extra hours of modern language teaching in addition to the mandatory hours) and progressive teaching in the section language in one of the following subjects: art, music, physical education and sport, and technology.26
International sections
There are French/English, French/American, French/German, French/Italian, French/Spanish, French/Portuguese, French/Swedish and French/Dutch sections in certain establishments. Teaching in international sections is aimed at facilitating integration of foreign students into the French education system and training French students in advanced practice of a foreign language, particularly by using this language in certain subjects. In international sections, teaching is by French and foreign teachers.26
European sections
European sections aim to offer students in secondary education additional training in a European language, in order to bring them to a very high standard and to teach them about the culture of the country or countries in which the language is spoken. The sections, which exist in collèges and lycées, are created in volunteer schools nominated by the recteur; no special Education Ministry funding/subsidy is provided. 26
3.2.3.1 Admissions criteria
Generally, children who complete normal school attendance are promoted automatically from elementary school to the first class of secondary school (the sixième of the collège), at the latest in their twelfth year of age, providing there is no objection from their teacher/s. There is no elementary school leaving examination.28 Those children who have not acquired the basic skills/competencies of primary education may be admitted to a specialised teaching section (SES), by decision of the département commission for special educational needs (CDES).26
School places are generally allocated on a strictly geographical/sectorial basis and, as a rule, parents are required to enrol their children in the school area in which they live. Exceptions can, however, be granted, allowing parents to send their children to another school of their choice. In Paris, in particular, there are many demands by parents for transfer to more socially or academically desirable schools (demandes de dérogation), suggesting a lack of satisfaction with allocation criteria. These requests are common at pre-compulsory, primary, secondary and university levels. 23,61 The most frequently cited reasons for transfer requests are a brother or sister already at the collège in question, the vicinity of home, an unusual foreign language or a European education section with increased foreign language provision offered by the collège in question, or the location of parents' work. A small number of teachers also request that their child be placed in the school in which they teach.11
In rural areas, the catchment areas or sectors to which students are allocated for lower secondary education are often composed of several communes: that in which the collège is located is then known as the chief commune of the sector. In urban areas, a collège catchment area is often part of a commune. Where the collège in the sector only offers certain subjects (such as certain modern foreign languages), the family may request permission to enrol the student in another collège offering additional subjects/foreign languages. The final decision on transfer is taken by the inspecteur d'académie (the director of educational services for the département).26
Headteachers are not generally involved with the admissions process. The entire process is carried out by officials at the académie (the regional educational headquarters). The criteria used are ranked in order and applied to the list of applicants for each school until the number of places available is filled.11
Families must enter into a contract with the school to which their child is sent and, to complete enrolment proceedings, must decide whether to buy the child school meals, and decide what modern foreign language the child wishes to learn. If a child wishes to enter collège from a private school under contract to the State (sous contrat), admission to the sixième is granted by the académie inspector. This is, of course, dependent on the private elementary school's decision to allow the student to be promoted up a class from primary to lower secondary education. Children from private schools which are not under contract to the State, or who have been educated in the family, must sit an entrance examination. The necessary application forms are distributed by the académie inspector.26
3.2.3.2 Length of school year (in days) and day (in hours)
School year/week/day
In lower secondary education, the governing board of each collège organises the school week in its own way, but within government guidelines and in accordance with the recommendation that subject areas are distributed evenly. Schools are usually open six days a week (Monday to Saturday), but classes are not usually provided on Wednesdays or on Saturday afternoon. However, the local inspecteur d'académie may modify the weekly timetable, at the request of the majority of the members of the school governing board and after consultation with the recteur. However, any changes may not shorten the number of teaching hours in the school year, nor their allocation to the groups of subjects as determined by the national Ministry of Education.25,150 This means that some schools have begun to transfer classes to Wednesday morning whilst leaving Saturdays free.23,26 In addition, increasing numbers of schools, are opting for a four-day (as opposed to the traditional four-and-a-half-day) week. That is, students in these schools attend all day on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, cutting out the Saturday half-day. The missing hours are usually made up by shortening the school holidays.85
Normally, there are 180 days or 36 weeks of classes in the school year and lower secondary class hours usually comprise 55 minutes of teaching and a five-minute break between classes. Students in collège usually have between 26 and 30 hours of teaching a week. 191 Students are admitted to the school ten minutes before the beginning of classes. 23,25,171
School holidays
The school calendar is fixed by the Minister for National Education, who also determines the dates of school holidays in each of the three zones in metropolitan France. There are three distinct zones (A, B and C) to ensure staggered holidays. 26
The three-term school year starts in early September and the first holiday period (10 days is generally in late October/early November (All Saints' holiday), followed by a second, of two weeks, over Christmas and the New Year. These holidays are identical for the three zones. The beginning of the winter holiday (two weeks) is then staggered according to zone, over the month of February. The spring holidays last for two weeks and are again staggered, beginning on different dates in April according to zone. The summer holidays are the same for the three zones and begin at the end of June. (There is a special calendar for Corsica and the overseas départements.) 26
French school term dates are approved by the Higher National Education Council, but may be modified to take local circumstances into account. Term dates are based on the following approach:
- The definition of the optimum lengths of time children need to spend working and resting.
- They also bear in mind the recommendations of experts, the experience of teachers and children, and the constraints of the current operation of the school system. The objective is to maintain a regular level of study throughout the year.10
Details of the school term dates are available online: http://www.education.gouv.fr/pid184/le-calendrier-scolaire.html
School holiday information also confirms that:
- All teachers start the school year two days before students.
- All classes finish at the end of June and do not encroach into July. 125
The first term of the French school year (early September to December) is seen by some to very long and hard. In early 2002, the Ministry of Education reopened the debate on the organisation of the school year. These new discussions aimed to create a school year with more balance between study periods and holidays. In the first instance and, as an indication of this, since the 2002-2003 school year, the first holiday period of the year (October half-term, known as "Toussaint") has been extended to last for ten days and cover two full weekends. As a result, the autumn term (September to December) now generally comprises two, seven-week periods separated by ten days' holiday.138
3.2.4 Fourth phase: Upper secondary, age 15 - 18
On completion of their course of study at the collège, students must attend school full-time for at least one more year to satisfy the compulsory schooling requirement. They generally do this either in a general and technological lycée (lycée d'enseignement général et technologique, LEGT) or in a vocational lycée (lycée professionnel, LP).173
Consequently, the upper secondary phase caters for the final year of compulsory education (students aged 15+) and for the post-compulsory phase, age 16 - 18+. The classes are named seconde (final year of compulsory education, students aged 15-16), première (16-17) and terminale (17-18). The seconde is a 'determination' cycle. It is a class for undifferentiated general and technological education at the end of which students choose between several branches and specialise in some subjects. The première and terminale prepare students for the Baccalauréat (required for entry to higher education). In the première and terminale, students are divided up among different classes according to the type of Baccalauréat, or the subjects, they have chosen to specialise in. Teaching is no longer common to all students, but adapted and strengthened in the subjects which are specific to each Baccalauréat type.26
General and technological lycées, and vocational lycées are local public-sector schools with legal and financial autonomy.23 The financial and administrative organisation, the decision-making and consultation structures, and the provisions concerning the organisation of the school day are the same in lycées as in collèges. Lycées are secular and co-educational, and provision is free of charge.23
General and technological lycées
General and technological lycées (lycées d'enseignement général et technologique, LEGT) are co-educational secondary schools, which usually prepare students in three years for one of the following certificates:
- The general Baccalauréat
- The technological Baccalauréat
- The technical certificate (brevet de technicien) (or the secondary school leaving certificate - the certificat de fin d'études secondaires).23
Vocational lycées
Vocational lycées (lycées professionnels, LPs, or lycées d'enseignement professionnel, LEPs) provide courses of varying duration to prepare students for the following:
- The vocational Baccalauréat
- The vocational studies certificate (brevet d'études professionnelles - BEP)
- The vocational aptitude certificate (certificat d'aptitude professionnelle - CAP).23
There are also some specialist lycée options, as follows:
Bilingual sections
There are at present French/German, French/English, French/Spanish, French/Italian, French/Russian and French/Portuguese sections in some collèges and lycées. These are characterised by more intensive practice in the language (extra hours of teaching in addition to the mandatory hours ) and progressive teaching in the section language in one of the following subjects: art, music, physical education and sport, and technology.26
International sections
There are French/English, French/American, French/German, French/Italian, French/Spanish, French/Portuguese, French/Swedish and French/Dutch sections in certain establishments. The teaching in international sections is aimed at facilitating integration of foreign students into the French education system and training French students in advanced practice of a foreign language, particularly by using this language in certain subjects. In international sections, teaching is by French and foreign teachers.26
European sections
The purpose of European sections is to offer students in secondary education additional training in a European language, in order to bring them to a very high standard and to teach them about the culture of the country or countries in which the language is spoken. The sections are created in volunteer collèges and lycées nominated by the recteur; no special Education Ministry funding/subsidy is provided.26
3.2.4.1 Admissions criteria
Each school district offers students a choice between lycées of general and technological education (LEGTs), and vocational lycées when they leave the troisième. Collège/troisième leavers then usually attend lycées in their local school district/geographical catchment area, except if the option or speciality they have chosen requires moving to a more distant institution.23,26
Parents are generally expected to enrol their children in a lycée in their local school area unless, for example, their family opts for private-sector education or, if the specialisation chosen during the troisième (final year) of collège (for example, a foreign language not included at the local school), involves attending an institution further away.23 This is, in fact, a means by which some parents "work" the system in order to ensure that their child is enrolled in their preferred school. For example, if they know that the lycée they would prefer their child to attend is the only one within striking distance offering Latin, they will ensure that their child selects Latin as a chosen specialisation on completion of the troisième.77
The most frequently cited reasons for requests for transfer to a lycée outside the student's own school district are a brother or sister already at the lycée; the vicinity of home; an unusual foreign language or a European education section with increased foreign language provision offered by the lycée in question; and the location of parents' work. A small number of teachers also ask for their child to be placed in the school in which they teach.11
Headteachers are not generally involved in the admissions process. The entire process is carried out by officials at the académie (the regional educational headquarters). The criteria used are ranked in order and applied to the list of applicants for each school until the number of places available is filled.11
Admission to publicly-funded lycée education is usually automatic on completion of lower secondary education in the collège. However, those students who have not attended a public-sector lower secondary school must usually take an entrance examination.24
3.2.4.2 Length of school year (in days) and day (in hours)
School year/week/day
There are normally 36 weeks (180 days) of classes in the school year and the school week is organised by the governing board, following national recommendations. Schools are usually open six days a week (Monday to Saturday), but classes are not usually provided on Wednesdays or on Saturday afternoon. However, the local inspecteur d'académie may modify the weekly timetable, at the request of the majority of the members of the school governing board and after consultation with the recteur. Any changes may not shorten the number of teaching hours in the school year. This means that some schools have begun to transfer classes to Wednesday morning whilst leaving Saturdays free.26 In addition, increasing numbers of schools, are opting for a four-day (as opposed to the traditional four-and-a-half-day) week. That is, students in these schools attend all day on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, cutting out the Saturday half-day. The missing hours are usually made up by shortening the school holidays.85
During upper secondary education, the weekly timetable ranges between 30 and 40 hours a week depending on the options selected by the student.191 For example, in LEGTs, usually ranges between 29.5 and 31.5 hours, depending on the options selected by the student.23 Teaching takes place in 55-minute periods with five-minute breaks between each period.23 In vocational lycées, there are 31 to 36 hours of classes per week.26
School holidays
The school calendar is fixed by the Minister for National Education, who also determines the dates of school holidays in each of the three zones in metropolitan France. There are three distinct zones (A, B and C) to ensure staggered holidays.
The three-term school year starts in early September and the first holiday period (10 days) takes place in late October/early November (All Saints' holiday), followed by a second, of two weeks, over Christmas and the New Year. These holidays are identical for the three zones. The beginning of the winter holiday (two weeks) is then staggered according to zone, over the month of February. The spring holidays last for two weeks and are again staggered over the three zones, beginning in April. The summer holidays are the same for the three zones and begin at the end of June. (There is a special calendar for Corsica and the overseas départements.)26
French school term dates are approved by the Higher National Education Council, but may be modified to take local circumstances into account. Term dates are based on the following approach:
- The definition of the optimum lengths of time children need to spend working and resting.
- They also bear in mind the recommendations of experts, the experience of teachers and children, and the constraints of the current operation of the school system. The objective is to maintain a regular level of study throughout the year.1
Details of the school term dates are available online: http://www.education.gouv.fr/pid184/le-calendrier-scolaire.html
School holiday information also confirms that:
- All teachers start the school year two days before students.
- All classes finish at the end of June and do not encroach into July. 125
The first term of the French school year (early September to December) is seen by some to very long and hard. In early 2002, the Ministry of Education reopened the debate on the organisation of the school year. These discussions aimed to create a school year with more balance between study periods and holidays. In the first instance and, as an indication of this, since the 2002-2003 school year, the first holiday period of the year (October half-term, known as "Toussaint") has been extended to last for ten days and cover two full weekends. As a result, the autumn term (September to December) now generally comprises two, seven-week periods separated by ten days' holiday.138
