The French Education System

Originally published in 1985. The French education system is unique in many ways and provides a useful contrast for those in all English-speaking countries to their own education system. The nature of the system; the resulting multiplicity of Inspectors; emphasis on nursery and primary schools and on vocational training; and the distinctions between different categories of teachers. This book provides an overview of the French education system and all its components. It discusses developments since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958 and it relates the developments to changing political forces.

This Springer brief explores the contribution of Nicolas de Condorcet in French higher education, the historical development of his work and its influence on the history of the French education system. Condorcet's educational proposals were first devised as five Memoires, which were consolidated into the ‘Rapport et Projet de Decret sur l'Organisation Generale de l'Instruction Publique’. This report has sparked debate on the subject of education in the past and lives on as a basis for ongoing iterations of plans for education by other writers. In developing these ideas and especially how they apply to higher education, this book bridges the gap between the 18th century French Enlightenment shift and the Revolution of higher education, with the advent of the Grandes Écoles such as École Normale Supérieure, École Polytechnique and Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers. Each of these schools was represented by a specific institutionalized educational idea rooted in the works of the philosopher. This book offers insights to a wider audience in the educational thought of Condorcet, which at the time of his writing was overshadowed by Rousseau, and shows how his ideas of liberty and equality flourish in the French educational system and remain an important part in today's French academic, cultural and political culture.

In The Slow Professor, Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber discuss how adopting the principles of the Slow movement in academic life can counter the erosion of humanistic education.

This open access book provides an analysis of contemporary societies and schools shaped by cultural diversity, globalization and migration. This diversity is necessarily reflected in education systems and requires the promotion of intercultural approaches able to improve learning processes and the quality of education. From an international and comparative perspective, this book first presents theoretical and conceptual foundations for seriously considering cultural diversity. The book also compares intercultural approaches and debates generated in countries as diverse as the United States, Canada, Brazil, Switzerland and France. For each national context, the book addresses both the historical roots of intercultural approaches and the concrete initiatives driven by educational policies for their implementation in schools and classrooms. Finally, the book presents discussions surrounding the treatment of linguistic or religious diversity in schools, the emergence of global citizenship education and the key role of teachers in intercultural approaches. This is an open access book.

71% of French school children “regularly suffer from irritability.” 63% are nervous. One in four has stomach or headaches once a week or more. 40% complain of frequent insomnia. Why is France the only nation in the world that discourages its children for what they aren’t, rather than encouraging them to be who they are?

In common with most industrialised countries, France has undertaken an ambitious programme of education reform over the last fifteen years. This book uses key extracts from contemporary writing to examine exactly how and why that process has happened, focusing on all stages of the education system. Sections cover the main characteristics of school reform in France, its aims and objectives, a discussion of the desirability of and politics surrounding the reform process, and explorations of classroom practice, the changing role of parents, standards in schools, and the curriculum. Because of its high quality, wide and up-to-date coverage of the area, this book will be a vital reference text for all those working in this field.

Sociology of Education in Canada utilizes a contemporary theoretical focus to analyze how education in Canada is affected by pre-existing and persistent inequalities among members of society. It presents the historical and cultural factors that have shaped our current education system, examines the larger social trends that have contributed to present problems, discusses the various interest groups involved, and analyzes the larger social discourses that influence any discussion of these issues. To achieve this, Karen Robson uses many current, topical, and relatable issues in Canadian education to ensure that readers fully comprehend the information being presented and leave with an appreciation of how the sociology of education is inextricably linked to issues of stratification.