The French education system is one of the most successful in the world, placing an emphasis on the development of the child’s personal and intellectual growth and independence.

The French school network comprises 450 certified schools worldwide, providing the opportunity to continue the studies within the French education system even if the family changes the country of residence.

The education is compulsory in France from the age 6, but a large majority of children start “l’école maternelle” or pre-school, much before their sixth birthday, often at two years of age. The french “école maternelle” or preschool is an integral part of education system.

PRIMARY SCHOOL (first degree)

French Primary school is shared in three cycles:

1. The cycle 1 or First learning cycle is “l’école maternelle”  or pre-school. Pupils from age 2 to 6 are enrolled and prepared for entry into the elementary school. The French “école maternelle” is more than just a playschool - the curriculum provides introduction to reading, writing, producing of texts, numeracy, and often also a foreign language, as well as physical, artistic and creative activities. There are three levels, "les petits", "les moyens" and "les grands" (the small level, the middle level and the big level).
2. The cycle 2 or Fundamental learning cycle and the cycle 3 or Improvements cycle constitute “l’école élémentaire” with five classes for children from 6 to 11 years of age. The five classes in the “école élémentaire” are, in order, CP “Cours Préparatoire”, CE1 “Cours Elémentaire première année”, CE2 “Cours Elémentaire deuxième année”, CM1 “Cours Moyen première année”, and CM2 “Cours Moyen seconde année”.
3. CP, preparatory class and CE1, first year of elementary class form the cycle 2 then CE2, second year of elementary class, CM1 and CM2 , intermediate classes form the cycle 3.

MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOLS or second degree

“Collège” is the middle school where students are enrolled just after Primary school . It has three cycles shared in four classes, normally for pupils aged 11 – 15. The “collège” is designed to provide all pupils with fundamental secondary education, after which a certain degree of specialization is introduced.

“Lycée” is the high school, it covers the last three years of secondary education.

AEFE is The Agency for French Teaching Abroad that serves the largest education network in the world

• 480 schools in 130 countries
• 250'000 students including 100'000 French nationals
• Over 6'500 expatriate or resident National Education civil servants
• 20'000 locally recruited staff

Missions imparted to the network

• Ensuring the continuity of the public service of education for the children of French families residing abroad;
• Contributing, through the schooling of numerous foreign students, to France's external cultural action and to the dissemination of the French language;
• participating in educational cooperation by coferring a privileged status to the culture and language of host countries.