Primary and secondary education in France - statistics & facts
In France, education is free and mandatory from age three to age 16. The education system is divided into three main successive stages: primary education (kindergarten and elementary school), secondary education (middle school, high school, and some specific training), and higher education (universities, Business Schools, etc.). After elementary school, middle school marks the entry of students into secondary education. It is organized into four levels from the sixth to the third grade and is structured into educational cycles. At the end of the third grade, students take the national diploma of the Brevet National des Collèges and can then move on to a second grade class in a general or technological high school, a second grade vocational class, or a first year of preparation for the Certificate of Vocational Aptitude (CAP).
The number of public elementary schools has declined in recent years, and there were fewer than 44,000 in 2022, down from more than 50,600 in 2005. On the other hand, the number of classes in these schools has increased over the past two decades: there were 13,000 more in 2022 than in 1999. In contrast, the number of private schools, both primary and secondary, is increasing, and in 2022 there were 5,754 private elementary schools and 2,049 private secondary ones in France. As for public secondary schools, there were 5,316 and most of them had between 300 and 700 students.
The enrollment rate for French children and adolescents decreases as age increases, and is relatively similar for boys and girls, although girls are more likely to be enrolled as they approach adulthood than their male counterparts. In the 2021/2022 school year, the academies with the highest schooling rates were Paris, Lyon, and Lille.
In terms of academic achievement, the success rate for the Brevet National des Collèges (middle school diploma) was 87.6 percent in 2022. Girls were more likely to pass this exam than boys: in the same year, 90.7 percent of girls passed, compared to 84.7 percent of their male counterparts. The same is true for the Baccalauréat (high school diploma): although the success rate has increased in recent years, women students are still on average more successful than men. Nevertheless, the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) ranking conducted by the OECD in 2022 to evaluate the skills of 15-year-old students in science, reading, and mathematics, placed France in 26th position among the 81 countries tested.
The number of students per teacher in elementary school has decreased slightly in recent years, and in 2020, the student/teacher ratio was 18.42, compared to an OECD average of 14.76. French teachers actually teach larger classes than their Norwegian, Belgian, Spanish, or German neighbors. While the teacher/student ratio is not in itself sufficient to guarantee the academic success of students, teachers' unions point to the difficulties that this shortage causes in providing appropriate teaching.
The state of the education system is in fact one of the most worrying issues according to the population, and the level of concern has even increased over the past few months. Surveyed in September 2023, more than one-third considered that the primary education system was functioning poorly, and more than three out of five people felt the same way about middle and high schools. Many French people therefore consider improving teacher training and evaluation, as well as recruiting more educational professionals, to be a priority.
Public and private schools
While in France the republican and secular state has a certain monopoly on education, private education has managed to find a place in the school system over the past two centuries despite regular criticism.The number of public elementary schools has declined in recent years, and there were fewer than 44,000 in 2022, down from more than 50,600 in 2005. On the other hand, the number of classes in these schools has increased over the past two decades: there were 13,000 more in 2022 than in 1999. In contrast, the number of private schools, both primary and secondary, is increasing, and in 2022 there were 5,754 private elementary schools and 2,049 private secondary ones in France. As for public secondary schools, there were 5,316 and most of them had between 300 and 700 students.
Students and academic achievement
The number of students in elementary school declined quite sharply between 1980 and 2000, from about 7.4 million to 6.55 million. In 2022, there were 6.42 million students in elementary schools nationwide. Meanwhile, the number of secondary school students has increased since 2010, from 5.32 million to 5.65 million in 2022.The enrollment rate for French children and adolescents decreases as age increases, and is relatively similar for boys and girls, although girls are more likely to be enrolled as they approach adulthood than their male counterparts. In the 2021/2022 school year, the academies with the highest schooling rates were Paris, Lyon, and Lille.
In terms of academic achievement, the success rate for the Brevet National des Collèges (middle school diploma) was 87.6 percent in 2022. Girls were more likely to pass this exam than boys: in the same year, 90.7 percent of girls passed, compared to 84.7 percent of their male counterparts. The same is true for the Baccalauréat (high school diploma): although the success rate has increased in recent years, women students are still on average more successful than men. Nevertheless, the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) ranking conducted by the OECD in 2022 to evaluate the skills of 15-year-old students in science, reading, and mathematics, placed France in 26th position among the 81 countries tested.
Teacher shortage
According to the Ministry's figures, out of the 27,332 teaching positions opened in 2022, only 19,838 had been filled in the public sector, and 3,482 in the private sector. Moreover, while resignations represent only a small portion, their gradual increase over the past several years send a negative signal. In the 2012-2013 school year, 491 teachers chose to leave the French education system permanently. In 2020-2021, there were 2,978, over six times more.The number of students per teacher in elementary school has decreased slightly in recent years, and in 2020, the student/teacher ratio was 18.42, compared to an OECD average of 14.76. French teachers actually teach larger classes than their Norwegian, Belgian, Spanish, or German neighbors. While the teacher/student ratio is not in itself sufficient to guarantee the academic success of students, teachers' unions point to the difficulties that this shortage causes in providing appropriate teaching.
The state of the education system is in fact one of the most worrying issues according to the population, and the level of concern has even increased over the past few months. Surveyed in September 2023, more than one-third considered that the primary education system was functioning poorly, and more than three out of five people felt the same way about middle and high schools. Many French people therefore consider improving teacher training and evaluation, as well as recruiting more educational professionals, to be a priority.
