French education system
Further information:
Education in France
A government-operated high school in central
Rennes
Education is compulsory in France up to the age of 16. The French system of primary and secondary education consists of:
- government-operated schools (enseignement public);
- private schools receiving government subsidies (enseignement privé sous contrat), the vast majority of private schools; and
- private schools not receiving government subsidies (enseignement privé hors contrat).
Schools in the first two categories are required to apply the same national curricula as defined by the
Ministry of Education. The curriculum for schools in the third category is free, provided that students receive at least some minimal skills in writing, mathematics, etc. The law discussed in this article only applies to government-operated schools, in the first category.
The French government highly subsidises private elementary and secondary schools, even those affiliated with religious organizations, as long as they apply the same curriculum as the public schools, with the same academic standards, and that they do not discriminate on grounds of religious affiliation nor make religious education compulsory. It is for instance common that children of
agnostic or otherwise
non-religious families, or children of families from other religions, are put in
Catholic schools, if their parents judge these schools to offer better conditions of education or to be more convenient. Consequently, families can use private schools at moderate costs. While there are no accessible official national statistics on the costs of private schools, typical prices per year for low-income families are in the range of a few hundred
euros. The average costs are €500 a year per student;
[4] however, this statistic includes very expensive, exclusive schools. In addition, according to the figures from the secretariat, more than half of schools have established a price schedule taking into account a family's income; as a result, costs to parents can be as little as €20 to €30 per school month per student. As an element of comparison, this is students who would not accept the ban on religious garbs were thus paid for by the state rather than those families.
In addition, the French government operates a distant learning agency, the
CNED, which is another solution for families impacted by the normal rules or schedules of public schools.
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