How long does change last in France? How does adaptation work?

Beautiful France is a country of great thinkers and artists, the birthplace of such concepts as “human rights” and “tolerance”, as well as a language of amazing beauty, spoken by a tenth of the world’s population. The school of this state cannot but have an impeccable reputation.

French schools are traditionally considered to be quite strict due to the demanding nature of the teachers and the intensity of the curriculum. But at the same time, they have a free, surprisingly relaxed atmosphere, so that even foreigners very quickly begin to feel at ease and comfortable.

This country has a single centralized system school education. It finally took shape by the 60s of the 20th century, although it began to take shape back in the Age of Enlightenment. Since 1967, secondary education has been compulsory by law in France. The state strictly monitors that all children study.

French specificity

The authorities also regulate educational policy and are in charge of teacher remuneration, training and hiring. In addition, every year the Ministry of Education approves a curriculum that is uniform for all primary and secondary schools. It is published in the official publication of the Ministry - the State Bulletin on Education.

As in many countries, educational institutions in France are divided into public and private. However, both of them are under the patronage of the ministry. The majority, naturally, are public free schools, but the number of private ones is constantly growing. Now about 15% of all students receive education there primary classes and about 20% of children undergoing training in secondary educational institutions.

Interestingly, private schools may or may not sign a “contract” with the government. If there is such an agreement, teachers of private institutions receive a salary from the treasury, accordingly, the cost of training there is an order of magnitude lower than in similar institutions that do not have a “contract”. Another feature: parents do not have the right to choose government institutions for their children - children have to attend schools at their place of residence. Many French people consider this system unfair, because schools in less prosperous areas, in particular immigrant neighborhoods, are overcrowded and unable to provide good education. However, adults can send a child to a private institution, where he will definitely receive a high-quality education, but for a lot of money.

The French and Russian schools have common features. For example, a careless student may also be retained there for a second year. The decision on whether or not to promote him to the next grade is made by a committee consisting of teachers, administrative staff and parents. However, the mother and father of the child have the right to challenge the verdict. It should be noted that every educational institution has a specialist who helps teachers, children and parents solve not only administrative, but also psychological problems.

The academic year in France begins in September and lasts until mid-June. Vacation times are again set by the Ministry of Education; these periods differ in each region.

For the first time in 12th grade

Elementary education in France it is compulsory and free. Already at two or three years old, children attend so-called mother schools (ecoles maternelles) - an analogue of our kindergartens. Here, for three to four years, experienced teachers and psychologists prepare children to enter primary school. But children become real students at the age of six. Moreover, the Russian expression “first time in first grade” does not work in relation to France, because classes here are numbered starting from 12th, that is, graduates graduate from first grade. Primary education takes five years and consists of three stages: preparatory grade, two "elementary" and two "secondary" grades.

At the age of 11, a French child enters a lower secondary school, or, as we used to call it, a 1st level school. In France, this level is called much more reputably - college. They study here for four years; the classes, as already noted, are counted in reverse order: the first year is called the sixth grade, the last - the third.

The four-year college period is divided into three cycles. The first is the adaptation year, during which the child gets used to new forms of education and new subjects - mathematics, French, history and more. The next cycle is fifth and fourth grades. Here physics, chemistry, Latin and foreign language. In the third grade, schoolchildren begin the final, orientation phase: at this stage, the student chooses the specialization in which he will receive education at the lyceum.

Lyceum times

Higher education institutions high school in France they are called lycees. Only their graduates have the right to enter universities, and therefore becoming a lyceum student is not so easy.

To enroll, the following conditions must be met:

unanimous decision of the student and parents on the choice of lyceum, further specialization and choice of qualifications; availability of a recommendation from a group meeting of teachers at the college where the child studied to enroll him in the lyceum. The document is reviewed by a commission under the region’s academic inspector (Inspecteur d’Academie), which also takes into account the availability of places in regional lyceums.

So, as a rule, at the age of 14–15, college students become lyceum students. In this educational institution, they usually undergo training for three years, completing the second grade (Seconde), the first (Premiere) and graduation (Terminale). Lyceums in France come in several categories. Those who want to start working faster go to a vocational lyceum (Lycee professionel, Lycee vocationnel) or to a journeyman training center (CFA) to gain knowledge, skills and abilities in a specific profession. Here you can even choose the duration of the course: two or four years. Since education is compulsory until the age of 16, you still need to study for at least two years. After this, the vocational lyceum issues a Certificate of Professional Qualification (Vocationnel aptitude certificate - CAP) or a Professional Diploma (Vocationnel - BEP). Both of these documents give the right to work in their specialty. After four years of study, a Professional Bachelor's Diploma (Vocationnel baccalaureate - BAC) is awarded. Having it, you can enter a university.

However, they usually don’t go to a professional lyceum for BAC, which is practically the equivalent of our vocational school or technical school. Guys who are planning to start working submit documents there. To obtain a BAC, they enter either a general education (General lycee) or a technological (Technologique lycee) lyceum, where they receive the titles General baccalaureate (Bachelor of General Sciences) or Technologique baccalaureate (Bachelor of Technical Sciences), respectively.

In general education lyceums, the greatest attention is paid to philology, economics and natural sciences. The certificates issued to graduates of such educational institutions vary depending on the specialization: BAC-ES (economics and social sciences), BAC-L (literature and languages) and BAC-S (natural sciences). At the technical lyceum you can specialize in exact sciences and industrial technologies (STI diploma), service (STT), laboratory research (STL) or medical and social services(SMS).

In the second grade (15–16 years old) in general education lyceums there is a division into two streams. Some students study natural sciences and mathematics, others study humanities. In the first grade (16–17 years old), the humanities class is divided into two more areas: the first is “literature and languages”, the second is “economics and sociology”.

The main subjects in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics course are physics and mathematics; in the “Literature and Languages” stream - French, written and oral speech, fundamentals of computer science and mathematics, philosophy, literature. Those who choose the Economics and Sociology program study economics, mathematics, French and English. In addition, as additional subjects you can study art history, biology, entrepreneurship, chemistry, computer science, French literature, French and foreign languages ​​- English, Italian, German and Spanish, as well as geography, history, law, mathematics, music, physics, psychology. Lessons last from 8:00 to 15:00, and extracurricular activities from 15:00 to 18:00. In many lyceums, every Friday they control knowledge by arranging an oral or written exam, and once every two weeks parents are sent a report on the progress of their child.

By the way, the mere fact of studying at a lyceum does not guarantee automatic receipt of a BAC diploma. It is issued only to those who score at least ten points based on several oral and written tests. If the score is lower, you will have to take a second series of exams or undergo a re-examination. Those who still failed to score a passing grade are simply given a certificate of completion of secondary school. Of course, this is very bad - you won’t get into a university, and you won’t get a good job.

Study at the state lyceum

It is free for the French; children of foreigners who do not live in France have the right to study in private boarding lyceums, as well as in five fairly prestigious state lyceums. They are located in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the town of Ferney-Voltaire (near the Swiss border), in Nice, Lyon and Strasbourg. The quality of teaching in each of these educational institutions meets the highest requirements. This is evidenced by the fact that 94% of graduates of Lycee-College international de Strasbourg successfully pass the BAC exams.

In the Strasbourg Lyceum, schoolchildren from 52 countries, including Russians, are trained along with the French. For those of them who do not speak French well enough, a special course of intensive language training is provided (seven to eight hours per week). By the way, only two to five people are recruited into groups.

The Lyceum practices an individual approach. Each discipline is divided into three levels, and a student is often, say, in French at the first level, and in mathematics at the third. He is also capable, for example, of entering the fourth grade, but at the end of the year he will be allowed to move directly to the second.

To enroll in the state lyceum, a foreigner must send a motivation letter. If the administration considers the candidate suitable, he will be called for an interview. Then you will have to pass difficult selection tests - you must show good knowledge of French and specialized subjects. Training at state lyceums is also free for foreigners, but you have to pay for accommodation, food, as well as books and teaching aids. Accommodation in a boarding school at the lyceum with three meals a day costs approximately 6,000 euros per year.

Studying at a private lyceum

Definitely more expensive. It will cost approximately 21,000–23,000 euros per year. But private schools are, as a rule, elite and very prestigious institutions.

For example, Ecole des Roches is simply unique. It appeared more than 100 years ago as a boarding school for children of the aristocracy and big bourgeoisie (the young princes Golitsyn studied there). Today Ecole des Roches is a large international educational center consisting of three structures:

1) an international boarding school in Normandy for children from 11 to 18 years old;
2) primary school Ecole des Petites Roches - la Tournelle in Versailles for children 7–11 years old;
3) Perl French language schools in Paris for adults.

Another famous private boarding school is Ecole Privee de Tersac, which is located in the vicinity of Meylan-on-Garonne, between Bordeaux and Toulouse. The school is located in a 19th-century manor on the banks of the Garonne Canal. French and foreigners aged 12–18 years study here. The institution has excellent academic performance, which is explained by the high quality of training, small classes (maximum 15 people) and modern technical equipment. From the age of 12, all children are required to learn three foreign languages. The main principle of the school is the harmonious education of the individual.

Another worth mentioning is the boarding school Institut Bois-Robert near Angers, which stands in the middle of a picturesque park. By the way, one of the buildings is located in a real castle. The maximum number of children in a class is also 15. In addition to the compulsory French language, children are taught English, Spanish, German and Latin, and also study French culture, painting, and mathematics.

In contact with

Classmates

Secondary education in France consists of several stages: school, college and lyceum. The training lasts 11 years, but the countdown starts in reverse, from most to least, i.e. from 11th grade to the oldest 1st grade. Until the 6th grade, children want to go to school, and from the 6th grade they go to college, and from the second to the lyceum. Schools are private and public. To enroll in a state school, you need to pass a test in French, and also have either documents for housing ownership or a rental agreement, since schools are distributed by the municipality according to the address of residence. We decided to send our child to a private college, fortunately it is inexpensive in France - only 30-35 euros per month. Classes in colleges are held five times a week from 8 to 15-40, with a break from 12 to 14, and on Wednesday only from 8 to 12. In France, preference is given to the humanities, sometimes it seems that the child is studying at the philology department. At school, children learn English, then in college, Chinese is added from the 6th grade, Latin, Greek and German begin from the 5th grade, and at the end Spanish or Italian. It would seem that after such training, children should simply become polyglots, but in practice they do not even really know English. During English tests, the whole class cheats from my son. The son estimates their knowledge of English to be at the level of his kindergarten. It’s even more fun with Chinese - after six months of classes, 2 hours a week, the children were only able to master the word “Hello.” Apparently French language techniques leave much to be desired.
Physical education and sports are of considerable importance in college. In addition to schoolwork, children also play sports during a two-hour break, when they can play football or ping-pong. There are also handball and volleyball sections, but they take place after the main classes. But in my opinion, extracurricular sports sections in France are rather weak. Although the infrastructure for this is simply excellent: a huge number of stadiums with excellent equipment and excellent football fields with natural turf, fortunately the climatic conditions allow this.
However, they are always empty, only one is used for rugby classes; residents use the rest of the fields for walking their dogs. It is not clear what causes such irrational use of expensive infrastructure. Perhaps French women do not dream of making Arshavin or Kabaeva out of their children and do not take them to sections, so groups simply are not recruited.

The rest of the 6th grade subjects are the same as the Russian school: mathematics, biology, history combined with geography, technology, music, art. There is no life safety, but there is a subject called catechesis, taught by a Catholic priest.

There are also everyday differences. For example, a wardrobe in French school no, children go to class directly in outerwear and without a “change.” But at the entrance there are lockers in which you can store textbooks so as not to carry them back and forth from home. There are practically no changes, except for a two-hour break, between lessons there is only a couple of minutes to move from class to class.
The school library does not carry the simple function of storing books, but is a hangout place where you can not only read, but also chat and watch movies. The use of telephones at school is strictly prohibited, even during breaks.

During the two-hour break, children are offered a buffet lunch, although for some reason without soup. Probably, French nutritionists, unlike Russian ones, do not consider soup a necessary attribute of the children's menu.
This pleasure costs 6 euros, but those who live nearby can go home for dinner.
In my opinion, the French school does not have a well-thought-out waiting system. Before the bell rings, the doors to the school are locked, and children run around the school yard or stand in any weather, even cold and rain.
The situation is the same after classes - they are immediately kicked out of the school premises, so the children, waiting for their parents, stand on the street, and for some reason there are no benches in the school yard. The situation is similar in the music school, although they are allowed there, the children wait for classes in the corridor, sitting right on the floor.
From extracurricular activities There are trips to the theater, museums, trips out of town. There are also longer trips around Europe: to Spain, Germany, England.

Women's forums are teeming with children's topics. Mothers try to give each other advice, putting bumps on their children’s tender foreheads.

What do professional teachers do? What, how and where are they taught?

We compare Russian and French primary schools.

A regular public school in France accepts children at their place of residence.

To enter primary school you must prepare copies of documents:

• birth certificate;
• parents' passports;
• vaccination certificate (for foreigners - a certified translation from a medical institution in their home country);
• a document issued by the city mayor’s office indicating the family’s income level (based on it, food charges will be set);
• insurance;
• document confirming the availability of housing (agreement with a housing company, employer).

“Write different letters in a notebook with a thin feather.” Where does studying at a French school begin?

Do you think that when kids enter first grade they begin to teach calligraphy? Forget it. No hooks or zigzags for “positioning the hand” (well, we’re not in ballet, really). There are no even letters, rulers, or changing from a ballpoint pen to a pencil. The French freethinkers do not limit the freedom of a child.

Checked copybook option

Most of the tasks are completed in printed notebooks; all that remains is to choose the correct answer. Regular blank notebooks are asked to buy no more than a couple or three. And we’ve never even heard of the fact that they come in an oblique line.

In France, there is no holiday on September 1 with flowers and bows, but Mardi Gras, school charity fairs, and exhibitions are celebrated regularly and on a grand scale.

"Subtract and multiply." Primary school level of knowledge.

Let's start with the good. Russian teachers provide the necessary knowledge at a high level. However, it is noteworthy that conditional C students, having changed their place of residence with their parents, in a French school become the first in academic performance among their peers. Why? Were they underestimated at home? No. It’s just that the knowledge assessment scale in France and the requirements for a child are significantly different.

French primary school uses not a point system, but a letter system: A, B, C, D (A – high level of knowledge, D – low).

From now on, about the bad. Let's share a story told by a mother whose child went to a French school in a small town near Paris for the first time in first grade.

Seeing C and D in the notebooks, my mother, a notorious advanced student of the Soviet educational system, began to ring the bells. To begin with, I complained to a French friend.

Our compatriot’s fears were not only not shared, but also not understood in essence. The Frenchwoman explained that grades C and D are not indicators of knowledge. They indicate a stage in the development of a particular material at the time of completing the task.

In other words, C, D – initial stage of mastering the material, and the child needs additional time to finally consolidate knowledge. Agree: a completely different way of thinking.

Remembering the terrible intimidation of teachers “you will stay for a second year!”, Russian parents find it difficult to accept such an approach. What could be more humiliating than such a prospect? The image of a second-year student was associated with something like an underdeveloped mammoth, red-haired, in the last desk.

And such incidents happened extremely rarely. Teachers “drew” a C even in the most advanced cases, in order to avoid this shameful phenomenon in the school statistics.

By the end of the school year of the first preparatory class of a French school, parents are given letter of offer to transfer to the next class.

You can agree or leave the student to take the same course again - at your discretion.

No special justification for the reason is required - just a tick in the appropriate box of the letter.

These Europeans are putting into practice what others - and Russians - are shouting about at every turn. All children are different. Putting on identification badges to highlight an individual (as the Russian school practices) is a step of dubious effectiveness.

Each requires a differentiated approach, a different period of time to master the same knowledge. You shouldn’t force everyone into a common line at the same time.

“Don’t hurt kids.” Behavior: rules, prohibitions.

There is no concept of “standards of behavior” in French. To school It is not allowed to bring toys or medicine, but the child can take his favorite book. If the required tasks in the lesson are completed before others, the child can read it. Or draw a beautiful Indian design with pencils, say, in a math lesson.

Now about the “rules of behavior during recess.” In France, you can get a shock when you see how children spend their free time at school. Yes, behind them guard watching.

Such a person is in the schoolyard during recess. But he reacts exclusively to serious situations, or more precisely, to their consequences that threaten the safety of life. He is in no way concerned about actively playing football in rainy weather with dirty puddles in someone else's hat against the will of its owner.

Active change

Expensive children's clothing, scattered on the asphalt throughout the yard, often rests there from morning to evening. This familiar picture is indifferent to the French eye.

The school administration ensures that the educational process is organized, the territory is fenced and guarded, and there is no access for unauthorized people. Everything else is the problem of the parents and the child himself.

"Finding East and South." The atmosphere of French lessons.

The French experience of teaching lessons to children in nature should be written down by all Russian teachers in their lesson plan with a bold marker.

Children are brought to land plot with a couple of trees (for birds), bushes (for insects), a small swamp (for frogs in the reeds) and a booth (for storing equipment). All this is proudly called "garden of discovery". For his sake, a comfortable school bus travels halfway across the city.

Children are strictly forbidden to walk anywhere, so as not to accidentally crush some worm. Only on designated paths! The scarcity of a piece of land does not matter. The important thing is that children teach you to love sincerely the world , take responsible care of it. They clearly explain the relationships in nature.

And here the older guys are watching the world of plants

The kids sit down right on the ground (don’t be afraid: they provide wooden planks for their butts), close their eyes, and then draw sounds and smells. Bird, plane, dog, car, man, rustling leaves.

The teacher brings special boxes with holes. Everyone takes turns putting their hand in there, guessing by touch what’s inside: a pine cone, a thorn, bark, moss, a snail. General laughter and fun.

“To love good books.” Educational material: books, school premises.

The French classroom is almost like a home room. Paintings, rugs, creative works of children, family photos. Entrance door with a round window, like on a submarine ship. In the center is a round table. First graders use it to prepare pies for the holidays. Later, the cooks in the school canteen will bake them, and the children will eat them together.

Comparing children's “bourgeois” literature with modern native literature, one gets the feeling that it was written by one author, then translated into different languages. Monsters who sharpen knives, murderous heirs to the throne who get rid of competitors, cannibals, children torturing domestic animals - this is an incomplete list of subjects found among the French. Eating the liver of a deva, savoring the details of the murders of fairy-tale characters and their death throes - these are Russian books on literary reading.

Attempts to show a child from an early age that life is not always rosy, and people are not all good wizards? A method that gives many people not understanding, but goosebumps.

What M. Plyatskovsky forgot to remember: homework, meals, uniforms. How much?

A school canteen in France offers a buffet. Salads, vegetables (thawed from bags), fruits, juices, yoghurts predominate - the usual diet of traditional French cuisine. Payment depends on the parents' earnings. With a monthly income of less than 600 euros – 6 euros/month per child.

Studying in a regular French school free. Most printed notebooks, books, folders, colored paper and even gifts for the holidays at the expense of the school.

Contributions to the class fund are irregular: they may offer to donate money once a year, or they may not raise this issue at all. The amounts are not fixed and depend only on the goodwill of the parents. Free uniform.

“We work at school, we relax at home” is the motto of the French primary school. Homework, at best, comes down to repeating material covered in class.

Volume homework Russian children are sometimes shocked. Maybe we shouldn’t teach people that home is a continuation of the same work, only at a different table? This bad habit takes root in the subconscious.

And don’t ask why, when my husband returns from work, he doesn’t spend time with his family, but sits down at his laptop and stares at the screen until the night, regardless of whether there is a need for it.

That's it, it seems. There's a lot to think about.

We will be pleased if you share with your friends:
1. You can argue with the teacher. Of course, no one will allow a student to get personal, but if a student believes that the teacher is wrong or unfair towards students, then you can safely speak out and not be afraid of being bullied later. But every rule always has exceptions.

2. Moreover, students can change teachers! If the entire class is dissatisfied with the teaching method, then the children can write a petition to the director asking him to replace the teacher. And he will be replaced. And, most importantly, without consequences.

3. Pknowledge influences grades. If, when passing the LHC (analogue of our Unified State Exam), it turns out that the assessment is at a crossroads, then the commission carefully studies the dossier and, depending on its contents, may add a few hundredths to the assessment. When entering the university, the lyceum student is also asked for a report card on his behavior during the last two years of study.

4. You cannot be excluded from your final class. The French exams are spread out over two years, so the lyceum cannot expel final-grade students even in the case of constant absenteeism, rudeness and other nasty things (in any case, you need to try very hard for this). It would seem that life is raspberries! But remembering the previous point, we understand how cunningly the French set the snare.

5. A student caught trying to cheat on the BAC will be suspended from taking exams for 5 years. The French are generally very strict with cheating. If a teacher notices that a student is using a phone during class, the communication device will be confiscated for at least 24 hours (!). Only parents can pick up.

6. In France it is indeed forbidden to ask homework. Everything is explained tightly school timetable and tolerance for students living far away. In fact, there is homework, but it is rarely voluminous, most often it is 1-3 exercises assigned for the week in advance.

7. The answer is not always pretty. In mathematics, we are used to receiving a beautiful number in the answer: 1, 0 or a neat fraction. Otherwise, most of the students will stop and double-check everything again, since “this cannot be.” The French, when compiling textbooks, do not think about the answers at all - anything can come out. Even 4.13679.

8. There are no changes at school. There are two long breaks of 15 minutes each day - at 10 and 15 o'clock. And so between lessons only five minutes of rest are officially prescribed, which, in fact, are spent moving from office to office.

9. Long school day. No matter how scary it may sound, in high school children often study from 8 to 18 with only an hour break for lunch and those short five-minute breaks between lessons.

10. 30 minutes to school is an unspeakable distance. This will seem funny to us - many take their children to school for three or four hours at a time one way. For the French this will seem ridiculous and terrible. Families living within a 30-minute drive from the school most often enroll their children in a boarding school, since the journey is long and long.