France’s school system is founded on the principles inspired by the Revolution of 1789 (“Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”) and the French constitution states that it is “the duty of the State to provide free, compulsory, secular education at all levels.” Since 1967, school is compulsory from the age of six to sixteen for all French or foreign children of both genders residing in France. The National Government funds 100% of schools; even private schools benefit from state support, but are subject to regulation and must follow the national curriculum. Unlike the U.S. or Britain, one of France’s strengths is that the best schools are public rather than private (TIME). In theory, this has promoted a meritocracy in which students from any economic, …show more content…
Additionally, the Equal Opportunities Policy has been recently implemented in France to correct the effects of social and economic inequality in educational attainment and to ensure that all pupils have attained a strong command of the common core. Finally, recent education reform has allowed pupils experiencing difficulty in school the possibility of tailored support and tutoring in primary and secondary …show more content…
education systems extend across a wide spectrum, from the disparities in their respective Federal education budgets to the requirements placed on their teachers, school systems, and students. First, the French spend a much greater proportion of their national budget on education (total of $83 billion) compared to America (total of $69 billion), (MICHIGAN) and 5.9% of France’s GDP is allocated towards education versus America’s 5.6% (HDR.UNDP). The annual education budget in France makes it the single largest area of government spending, even ahead of defense (TIME). As a result, France’s Ministry of National Education is the country’s largest employer since it’s responsible for employing educators from the kindergarten through university level. In contrast, American grade-school teachers are employed by local school districts while professors are hired by their colleges and universities, with the result that employment pre-requisites vary more in the U.S. than in France. Secondly, although school isn’t mandatory in France until age six, all three-year-olds are guaranteed a place in maternelle (nursery school), and participation rates in formal care and pre-school for children aged three is 100% (versus 51% in the U.S.) (WASHPOST). Pre-school in France is also cost-efficient at about $6,700 per student. In comparison, the State of New Jersey spends about $13,000 per student. Studies such as the Perry Preschool Study substantiate