WHY A FRENCH CURRICULUM?
With historical roots as far back as 1789, the French education system has a reputation for having one of the best education practices in the world. With a nationally set curriculum, tested methods of teaching and learning, high academic standards and a structured approach to learning, more and more international families are considering the French national system for international education.
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Structured – meets the requirements of French National Education programmes
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Academic – cultivates knowledge, communication, understanding & critical thinking
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Humanist – values tolerance, equality, opportunity & intellectual curiosity
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Transferable – education without interruption: Kindergarten to Baccalaureate
A NEW STANDARD IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
1. INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED
The French Baccalauréat or Bac is an internationally recognised qualification that enables students to apply for and study at the best universities and schools in France, Australia, the United Kingdom, the US and throughout the world. The French education system from Kindergarten to the Bac provides students the opportunity to gain an education in two languages in a multicultural atmosphere.
This makes French-educated students highly sought after by higher education institutions. Students are encouraged to think independently and drive their learning, take part in a structured programme of education that leads them to the highest-ranking universities around the world.
2. HASSLE-FREE, TRANSFERABLE EDUCATIONAL CONTINUUM
The universality, but also flexibility of a French education is guided by the requirements, programs, educational objectives and organizational rules of the French education system. Consisting of a transferable continuum of education from Kindergarten to Baccalaureate, the French system is united by the Ministry of National Education’s objectives and approaches to teaching and learning.
France is the only country that has chosen to have a national teaching system abroad supported by the world’s largest school network, assisted by the Agence pour l’Enseignement Francais a l’Etranger, or AEFE. This worldwide network of schools offers one unique program, the French national curriculum, of high quality both in terms of teachers and syllabus. Easily transferable from one French school to another in any country, (no test required), within the AEFE network. AEFE students have access to over 500 schools in 139 countries with the same teaching philosophy and curriculum should their family choose to relocate.
3. BROAD AND BALANCED
The French curriculum provides all pupils, whatever their background, the same educational opportunities. Structured as an education that is broad and balanced the French system fosters imagination and creativity while at the same time is encapsulated within a structured and rigorous national programme.
Students are taught to question, investigate, and reflect always in reference to real-world contexts. French education is about thinking of solutions to daily problems. The system develops multilingual students who become culturally aware. Learning a second or third language enables students to engage with communities in an increasingly globalized and rapidly changing world. A French education fosters inquiring, knowledgeable, and passionate young citizens who are motivated to succeed.
4. STRUCTURED, REGULATED, VALIDATED, RIGOROUS
The French education system is regulated by the Department for National Education, Higher Education and Research. The French curriculum is structured and state-validated through the ministry of education. Utilising both traditional and modern teaching methods, a nationally standardised curriculum, combined with high academic standards and rigorous discipline, French education is considered of a high standard worldwide.
To be authorised by the French authorities, a school needs to follow the French curriculum set by the French Ministry of Education. The school fills an extensive application and gets audited by the French authorities. The application, together with the results of the audit, is then reviewed by the French Ministry of Education and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris who will grant authorisation.
