1. Education in
France
Kindergarten,
Elementary school,
High school,
University
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made of the information contained therein.’

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.

8. Thank you for your
attention!