INCA Education around the world
France : Internal school organisation
4.3.1 Organisation of teaching groups
4.3.2 Student progression through the phase
4.3.3 Class size
4.3.4 Teacher specialisation
4.3 Third phase: Lower secondary, age 11- 15
[see 3.2.3]
4.3.1 Organisation of teaching groups
In accordance with the principle that the lower secondary collège in France is a comprehensive, that is to say 'unstreamed' institution, offering equality of educational opportunity for all, grouping lower secondary school students by ability is, in principle, forbidden by law. The general aim in the organisation of teaching groups in France is that every child should receive schooling as near as possible to the 'norm'; that is to say full- or part-time integration in ordinary classes arranged according to age, with special help provided in school, as required, is the preferred course. Children who, through teacher monitoring and assessment, are noted to have particular difficulties (in one or more subjects) can receive special help within their existing class. Should their difficulties make it impossible for them to take part in normal class lessons, they may enter special classes organised within the same school; in more severe cases they will attend a special school. Decisions on placement of such children are taken by a special education commission (in consultation with teachers and parents).14 [Further details of publicly-funded provision for students with special needs can be found in the supplement to this Archive, "France: special educational provision". This can be accessed by clicking on the 'special' button on the top left of this page.]
Under reforms introduced during 1999, students in the first two years of collège who are experiencing difficulties with reading, spelling and arithmetic, in particular, may now receive special help in these areas of the curriculum. Students in the sixième (first year of collège, age 11-12) can receive up to six hours per week of help/tuition, and those in the cinquième (year two of collège, age 12-13) up to four hours. Students may be placed in mixed-age groups for this extra help, but the maximum class size is eight. The special tuition is included within the student's timetable (that is to say that the hours will not be additional to his/her normal timetable.)16 A decision on those students requiring this additional help is taken on the basis of assessments during the final year of elementary school education (CM2, children aged 10-11), and on the basis of a meeting between the student's elementary school teachers and their new teachers in the sixième of collège.38
It is, however, often suggested that grading by ability does take place tacitly when some schools divide a year group into classes or teaching groups. Parents commonly select German as their child's first language on entry to collège, for example, as this was traditionally reserved for the brightest students and these students will often be grouped into the same class. Similar patterns exist for subjects such as Latin. The practice is also disguised by labelling classes of slow learners as remedial.79
During a recent review of collège education, many teachers expressed the view that teaching lower secondary age students in mixed ability classes is difficult, but that they remained in favour of the ideological principle of comprehensive lower secondary education. It is, however, becoming apparent that more and more students in French collèges are being grouped into smaller units for certain subjects at certain times of the day.13
Teaching groups organised by subject area
In general in France, from the fourth year of lower secondary education (troisième), usually aged 14-15, students begin to select specific course options and are consequently organised into teaching groups by subject area. See section 5.3.2.
The selection of different pathways or options involves guidance which, in France, is regarded as an educational activity to assist each student in making reasoned educational and vocational choices throughout his or her school career. Guidance is one of the school's primary functions.23
Classes de troisième d'insertion
The classes de troisième d'insertion (for students generally aged 14-15), were originally introduced at the beginning of the 1992/93 school year to prepare students for integration into working life. These classes are gradually being established in more and more collèges to offer a positive framework for students having some difficulties, and whose primary goal is to gain admission to vocational training.23 They offer a more individualised form of teaching and periods of work experience (minimum six weeks) and enable students to go on to study for their CAP (vocational aptitude certificate - certificat d'aptitude professionnelle) or for the certificat de formation générale, CFG (which can count towards the CAP). Students cannot repeat these classes. The classes de troisième d'insertion have 1,000 teaching hours per year, 720 of which are set aside for general teaching, 100 hours for multi-/cross-disciplinary teaching and communication, and 180 hours for work experience.23
In addition to the classe de troisième d'insertion, where the number of students is reduced to 15, some collèges have established special sections, such as music classes with specially arranged timetables and sports studies, as well as bilingual, international, and European sections.23 Further information on these special collège sections can be found in 3.2.3.
Students may also choose, at the end of the cinquième or quatrième (second or third year of lower secondary education respectively) to enter the lycée d'enseignement professionnel agricole (vocational agricultural lycée) to study for the certificat d'aptitude professionnelle agricole, CAPA (vocational aptitude certificate in agriculture).35
4.3.2 Student progression through the phase
Cycles
The decree dated 29 May 1996 reorganised four-year lower secondary education in collèges into three cycles as follows:
- Year 1 of secondary education, the sixième, constitutes the cycle of observation and adaptation;
- Years 2 and 3 of secondary education, the cinquième and quatrième respectively, are the secondary consolidation (or central) cycle; and
- Year 4 of secondary education, the troisième, constitutes the orientation cycle.
The organisation of collèges into the above cycles took place gradually between 1996 and 1999 in accordance with the following timetable
- 1996 sixième
- 1997 cinquième
- 1998 quatrième
- 1999 troisième.26
Promotion
The Teachers' Council of each cycle (which usually comprises all the teachers of that cycle in the school) promotes students from class to class within a cycle on the recommendation of their teacher,23 who bases his/her recommendation on his/her continuous observation and assessment of the student, and on discussion and consultation with parents and with members of teaching teams.23
To adapt to the learning rhythms (rates of learning) of each child, the amount of time spent in each cycle can be extended or reduced by one year. Generally, promotion to the next class within the same cycle (or retention within the same class for a further one year period) is the parents' decision. When promotion to the next class involves commencing a new cycle, the written proposal of the Teachers' Council of that cycle is generally followed (taking into account the wishes of the student and his/her parents of which they are already aware). In such cases, once a decision has been made, the Council's written proposal is sent to parents, who can accept it or challenge it by appealing to a higher authority (which then takes the final decision). Appeals have to be made within two weeks of receipt of the original recommendation/written proposal and are generally made to the local 'inspecteur d'académie' - local representative of the National Ministry of Education.23 Normally, a student's report book (livret scolaire) informs parents of proposals by the Teachers' Council of the cycle concerning the child's promotion to a higher class or cycle and of the final decisions taken.23 Students may only repeat a year once they reach the end of a specific cycle.25
Within this system of cycles, a student who is ahead of his/her year group should be able to follow work of the next year while staying in the same class. In order for teachers in the same cycle to plan their work, one hour a week is set aside for this to happen, or three hours every third week, called concertation.19
4.3.3 Class size
In the 1996-97 school year, average class size in (both public- and private-sector) collèges in France was 24.5. For more than the last ten years in France, there have been hardly any classes of more than 30 students in public-sector collèges.43 The student:teacher ratio in collège in September 1999 was 23:1. This is an average figure for all of France. Ratios may differ considerably from region to region and school to school.131
There are, however, minimum class sizes for modern foreign languages as follows:
| first modern foreign language (compulsory) |
minimum 15 students for English/German minimum 8 students for other languages |
| second modern foreign language (first option) |
minimum 8 students |
| third modern foreign language (chosen as additional option) |
minimum 15 students29 |
In the classe de troisième d'insertion (see 4.3.1), the number of students per class is reduced to 15.252
4.3.4 Teacher specialisation
Teachers in state collèges are specialist subject teachers. They are civil servants recruited on the basis of a competitive examination (concours) open to those who already hold a first degree (licence), a higher degree (maitrise) if they wish to qualify for university teaching, or an equivalent qualification. Success in the concours is followed by a compulsory year of teacher training in a teacher training institution (Institut Universitaire de Formation des Maitres, IUFM), combining theoretical work in the IUFM with periods of classroom practice.112
Headteachers in a collège (principal), or a lycée (proviseur) are responsible for the administration of an establishment. Even though they have a general responsibility for teaching, they have no teaching duties per se. Headteachers are normally former teachers who have passed the headship examination.
