For those who have taken the plunge, getting involved with the school through its parent-teacher association is an ideal way to learn the educational ropes.
Vicky McCreery has two young children at primary school near Menton, in the Alpes-Maritimes, and after three years in the Association Parents d’Elèves is already the president.
She said: “That came about mid-year because the president was ill and so I agreed to take over.
"But I was happy to do so because it is good to organise fun things for the kids to do.”
The school she is involved with is a small one, with 97 children from maternelle to CM2. There are about nine parents who are active in the association.
“When my daughter was in school for the first year I wasn’t sure how the association functioned and didn’t join until the second year.
“But it seemed natural to do so as I already had friends who were members and I was interested to find out more about what was going on in the school.”
Mrs McCreery's role with the association involves meetings with the parents in which they organise annual events. She also decided to become a parent representative and takes part in the conseil de classe - a meeting of parents, teachers and pupils' representatives.
“Then you are able to know what is happening not only in the classroom but, for example, in the canteen.
“Recently, we contributed by drawing up a survey of the children’s views on a change in midday meals which are no longer cooked at the school but come from a central kitchen.
She says that she would encourage any parent to join an association: “I would say at least give it a try and if you enjoy it continue, but don’t feel it is an obligation. It should be a pleasurable experience. If you are thinking about being president, though, only do it if you really want to as I have found it to be very time consuming.”
Pippa Curtis has lived in Briançon in the Hautes-Alpes for the past 10 years and joined the parents' association, first at primary school and now at collège where her daughter, Becky, is about to go into 4ème.
She says that when people come from another country with no experience of a child’s new education system it is worth joining to understand how the school works.
She said: “Education is so important you owe it to your kids to join.”
When her daughter started collège, Ms Curtis said nobody explained how it worked, as there are different associations on offer and somehow the French 'just know' what to do — but in 5ème she took the plunge and not only joined but also signed up to be a parent representative, or délégué, after a retired English teacher in her village advised her that this would be a good way of getting to grips with the collège system.
“I found the way of organising the meetings strange and not terribly well organised, but it has been interesting and it does help because you get to know the teachers and it helps me to understand what my daughter needs to get on in school.”
She said that the associations she has joined seemed unwelcoming at first, but she is glad she persevered: “No-one has ever tried to help me or to welcome me in the committees so you have to be tough but I still think it is worth doing.”
In primary school, parent-teacher associations are organised at a local level and can come under a number of different names, such as Association de Parents d’Elèves, Amicale Laïque, or Amis et Parents d'Elèves.
The groups usually get involved in fundraising activities for school projects and organising the summer fête.
Parents can also get involved more directly with their children’s education by becoming a parent representative and as such attend the conseil d’école.
Each class has a representative from the parent body, who is elected annually. To become one you must put your name forward. They are often organised via parents’ associations but you do not have to be a member to present yourself for election.
A conseil d’école is held once a term and will involve the headteacher and other staff members, the mayor and councillor in charge of education, a parent for each class and a delegate from the local education authority.
The meetings establish the rules for the school, discuss educational projects, the school canteen, the use of school resources, out of school activities and agree on complementary activities such as school trips.
At collège and lycée level, the parent associations tend to be affiliated to national organisations of which there are three in public schools and two in private schools.
In any school there may be a choice of association to join. In public schools the two major organisations are the Fédération des conseils de parents d’élèves (FCPE) with 310,000 members and Fédération des Parents d'Elèves de l'Enseignement Public (PEEP) which has an estimated 200,000 members.
Both these organisations campaign for pupils' well-being, for example decreasing the weight of school bags.
The Union Nationale des Associations Autonomes de Parents d’Elèves (UNAAPE) is an umbrella organisation for independent parent associations.
The local school associations run themselves as they wish with the support of the UNAAPE at national level.
In private schools there is Association de Parents d’Elèves de l’Enseignement Libre (APEL), which has around 900,700 members and is the biggest of all the associations and the Organismes de Gestion de l’Enseignement Catholique (OGEC) which is made up of parents and former parents which helps run school budgets.
At secondary school, parents are less likely to organise fundraising events and more likely to be involved with practical issues such as orders for school equipment for pupils or second-hand text book sales.
You can also stand for election as a parent representative for your child’s class and attend the conseil d’école.
There may often be two lists, one from the FCPE and one from the PEEP. At the meeting there is for each class: teachers, two pupil representatives, two parent representatives, the CPE (deputy head), a careers officer and sometimes the school doctor.
Unlike those in primary school, these meetings closely follow the educational progress of each pupil and will advise about their future orientation.
Why a school will ask for proof your child is insured
IN FRANCE, parents are held financially responsible for their children at all times.
This responsibility extends to school and extra-curricular activities. If a child accidentally damages an object, or injures another person while at school, the parents could find themselves facing a claim for damages.
All children should be covered by liability insurance for damage or injury to themselves and third parties while they are at school, or travelling to and from school.
When you register your child for school, you will be asked to provide an attestation d’assurance scolaire. This confirms that your child is properly covered.
For this, you will need civil liability insurance (responsabilité civile propriétaire) a type of third-party insurance that is often – but not always – included in basic home insurance policies. Ask your insurer for an attestation.
It may also be worth contacting a representative of the parents' association at your child's school. Sometimes, these groups have a deal with an insurer that means parents can get cover at a discount.
If you are relying on your home insurance cover, it is a good idea to ensure you understand the details — it may only provide minimal cover, or come with other limitations.
Your child will need additional insurance before they are allowed to go on school trips, or participate in certain extra-curricular activities, such as sports. You can get ‘24/24’ insurance cover that provides general cover for an entire year, or cover for specific activities or trips. This may be called assurance scolaire — extra scolaire. It is not expensive and provides cover for your children at all times, and for most activities.
As always, the cost of insurance varies according to the type and level of cover.
