School in France: your experiences

British academic Peter Gumbel's criticism of the French school system has been well-received by the education establishment. In October's issue he tells Connexion about the problems he has observed in French schools. How have you or your children found the difference between UK and French education? Is it too strict, is the course too narrow? Are your children having fun at school? Should they? The debate continues on our Facebook page...

I was home educating two children (out of 4) in England, having had a bellyful of the system. In France the primary school was far more 'ludique' (playful), and the teachers in collège and lycée far less judgmental... Having said that, once a certain level is reached, there is a complete lack of analysis, of debate, and you are expected to trot out all the same platitudes - so, yes, I and my children agree, the education, eventually, is limited and uninspiring. My son has now moved on to further education studies in France, and will surely leave to go back to England..... the social possibilities (i.e. for growing up) are more extensive, as are the course choices, the level of debate, and overall the intellectual challenges.
Kathryn Bohme

Childhood is for having fun as well as learning - it's very easy to combine the two. It is possible to have respect from pupils and get them to learn using different methods than 'auto-dictée' each time. Maybe it's more a problem in the rural areas, like ours, but we too have a problem finding enough teachers - so that ...4/5 moyennes are put with the 8/9 CE1 in the same classroom! We also have a 22 year old head mistress at the moment.....there are definite cracks in such a rigid system. Having three children currently in the system I do find that it is a tough system on them all. No they dont complain (except when given a mass of homework to do over the weekend) and they generally get good marks in what they achieve but there seems no light hearted game playing / easy learn techniques that I remember... having at school. It is solid, strict and regimented and having taught myself at the school for 8 years realise it's not only the children that suffer but the teachers too. 'The system' creates an over strenuous work load on all.
Samantha Riley

Having taught in both France and Britain and brought up four sons in both systems, I have to mention that when I took my French sons over to GB they were way ahead of their peers. The same as when I brought them back they had fallen behind. The French school day is long although the week is usually shorter having Wednesdays off. Also, it is considered normal for French parents to follow very closely the childrens' education and to check their homework every night. Far more so than the average in GB where the parents tend to think that Teachers are supposed to do everything and teach their children absolutely everything including sports, sex, cultural education and social intercourse. I find it refreshing that teachers are treated with respect here in France by both pupils and parents and are only expected to teach their subject, without having to be nurse, social worker, psychologist etc. for both children and often parents. All four of my sons decided to finish their education in France despite it being more demanding for the Baccalauréat and much, much harder in University, where the levels of education appear, to me, to be much higher than what I have witnessed. And just a last word; I do not know of any children of any age in Britain who can show you the object, subject, indirect subject, verb, adjective, auxilliary verb, preposition etc. etc. the way most eight year olds can in France. In Britain we have lost all sense of grammatical necessity and just let the children grow up in blissful ignorance.

Cynthia Prentice

I totally agree! As a child I grew up all over the world and went to international schools as well as "normal" schools so I was quite prepared for what my kids may have to go through. I have heard a lot of people complaining that in rural France the teachers are not so good but hand on my heart...my kids have had the best teachers I have ever known...well so far anyway. It is true to say that the teachers find it much harder to teach English out here but that is where, as a British parent, I can offer help and they love that. I have teacher friends in the UK who say that when French and/or european kids come over to study they do actually STUDY and strive for better, work harder and are far more respectful than their british counterparts. At first my sons found the long days hard but now it's normal and they just get on with it. I think in terms of school hours they pull in approx the same with free periods, longer lunch breaks and breaks, it might be slightly more, but then they do have extra holiday days to the GB kids.
Yupawadee Bird Sarson

Both my children go to local schools and although I find their work is sometimes uninspiring and plentiful, and the school day rather long, they both seem less stressed than their cousins in the UK. Neither have gone through the hassle of an 11 plus equivalent exam to get into an acceptable state or private secondary school and so as family we have been spared this added pressure. Sure the sports on offer at junior level are a bit limited but twice a week, Maddy and Ben hit the football pitch for training on a Wednesday and matches on a Saturday! Cultural extras and firing our children's imaginations, are also down to us as parents. Another plus is the social education my children are getting. As most local children go to the same school, with exception of those who opt for the religious input from private schools, there is a healthy mix of pupils from different backgrounds : a vital ingredient, I think, to any rounded education.
Alison Weatherhead

Having spoken to many French parents with children in the French system the overall picture is that the French system is not flexible and children are not taught 'to think outside of the box'. Maybe that is why the French, generally speaking, are not a very entrepreneurial society?
Lucy Culpepper

I think the education depends on where you live and what the schools are like. We live in a rural area where all the schools seems to stuggle with constant changes in Head Teachers and lack of continuity. Both French and English parents complain of the inflexible teaching methods and the apparent need to cover each subject in a strict methodical approach wihout time to retrace or spend more time on a subject. Unfortunately it has not worked out for us. We came to France five years ago and our son went into school speaking no French.For the first year the school helped but after that he was on his own. Luke passed his Brevet but with little confidence in the Lycee ( and a prospect of possibly four years taking the Bac ) we had to return to the UK. He is now taken A levels ( French of course ! ) with a reduced day but a massive culture change, poor weather, less sporting activities and an ' I want ' culture ! Hopefully once he qualifies for the RAF we can return.
Alan Blizzard