COMPARATIVE EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT

1. PREPARED BY:
CHERYL M. ASIA
COMPARATIVE EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT

2.  Education is a priority in France, with 21 percent of the annual national
budget earmarked for education. The country boasts a 99 percent
literacy rate. France’s higher education history is lengthy. The
University of Paris, one of the world’s oldest universities, was founded
in 1215. Prior to 1789, education was controlled by the Catholic Church.
After the French Revolution, a standardized and centralized education
system was instituted.
 For administrative purposes, France is geographically divided into 31
educational regions known as académies. Each académie is headed by
a recteur, a representative of the Ministry of Education, who is in
charge of all education levels within that region. Each académie is
further divided into départements, which are headed by an inspecteur
d’académie, who oversees primary and secondary education. A law
adopted in 1989 established that while the Ministry of Education is
responsible for creating the curriculum and setting educational
standards and goals, each primary and secondary school has the
autonomy to choose how to best teach the curriculum and achieve
state-determined educational goals.

3.  The French academic school year runs from September
until June. Examinations are typically offered in June,
with a second set of retake examinations scheduled in
September.

4. Elementary Education
 In France, education is compulsory
between the ages of 6 and 16.
 Elementary school (enseignement
élémentaire) begins at age 6 and
lasts for 5 years.
 It is divded into two cycles: the
basic learning cycle (two years) and
the consolidation cycle (three
years). Elementary education
focuses on French, mathematics,
reading and writing, social sciences,
science and the introduction of a
first foreign language.
 Following elementary
school, students enroll in
secondary school.
Secondary education is
divided into two levels:
lower secondary
(enseignement secondaire
du premier cycle) and
upper secondary
(enseignement secondaire
du deuxième cycle).
Secondary Education

5. 
Lower secondary education is taught at
middle schools (collèges) and is open to all
students who have completed elementary
school. The program is four years in length
and consists of four grades numbered in
descending order. Studies begin in year six
(sixième) and end in year three (troisième).
 The curriculum focuses on French, foreign
language, mathematics, history and
geography, life and earth science, physics
and chemistry, art, technology, music and
physical education. At the end of lower
secondary school, students take a national
examination in one of three streams:
academic, technological or vocational.
Those who pass the examination earn
the Diplôme National du Brevet (DNB).
Those who fail the examination earn a
school-leaving certificate called le
Certificat de Formation Générale (CFG
Lower
Secondary
Education
Education
System

6.  Upper secondary school is three years in length and is
comprised of years 10, 11 and 12 (called seconde,
première and terminale). Upper secondary education
takes place at high schools (lycées). Access is granted
to students who have the DNB and to a very limited
number of students with the CFG. At the end of the
first year (seconde), students choose a stream of study
that will be followed for the final two years of upper
secondary study leading to
the baccalauréat examinations. The general academic
stream culminates in the diplôme du baccalauréat
général. The technology-based stream earns students
the diplôme du baccalauréat technologique and the
vocational stream leads to the baccalauréat
professionnel. All three types of baccalauréat grant
students access to university studies. Students who
fail the baccalauréat examination are issued
the certificat de fin d’études secondaires.
 Students who are enrolled in vocational programs may
also earn the Certificat d’Aptitude Professionnelle
(CAP) and the Brevet d’Etudes Professionnelles (BEP),
both of which are terminal degrees intended to give
the students access to jobs in their chosen industry.
The baccalauréat examinations are offered in June and
September every year.
Upper
Secondary
Education
Education
System

7.  The academic stream is offered in three
concentrations: literary (L), economic and social
sciences (ES), and scientific (S). Students follow a
curriculum of math, science (life and earth
sciences or engineering sciences), physics and
chemistry, philosophy, languages, civics, social
science and physical education during their final
year of study. Students in the literary stream focus
their coursework on languages, history and
geography, the arts and literature. Students in the
science stream focus their coursework on science
and mathematics, while students in the economic
and social science stream focus on economics and
social sciences, history and geography,
mathematics and languages.
 The technology stream has concentrations
available in industrial science and technology,
laboratory sciences, health sciences, hotel and
tourism, management, music and dance, and
environmental science. The vocational stream has
concentrations in many different specialties,
including sales, accounting, automotive mechanics
and graphic design. It prepares students to enter
the job market, but also provides access to higher
education.
The
Baccalauréat
Program
Education
System

8.  Admission to higher education is
based on
the baccalauréat examination.
 Some selective higher education
programs, offered at the grandes
écoles, require students to take a
competitive examination
(concours) for entrance into the
program. In order to take this
examination, students generally
complete two years of preparatory
study (classes préparatoires) at
specialized high schools (lycées).
Admission
Higher
Education

9. Brevet de Technicien Supérieur
(BTS) (Higher Technician’s
Certificate)
 The BTS is a two-year
technical degree awarded by
the Ministry of Education.
Admission to the BTS is
competitive. The BTS is
earned after the completion
of two years (120 ECTS
credits) of preparatory study
in a lycée and the passing of a
national examination. Those
who have earned a BTS can
proceed into the workforce,
or use it for access to further
study in bachelor’s programs
in engineering or business.
 The two-year programs are
offered at IUT, which are
independent institutions
affiliated with universities.
These programs culminate in
the diplôme universitaire de
technologie (DUT).
Admission to IUT is
competitive. This degree is
designed to prepare students
for employment in their field
of study, but also gives access
to university degree
programs.
Institut Universitaires de
Technologie (IUT) (University
Institutes of Technology)

10.  There are 83 public universities in France, and 80% of the tertiary
student population attends these institutions, as they are very
accessible, affordable and offer many programs of study. The L-M-D
structure instituted under the Bologna Process reforms created a three-
tiered system of education at the universities: the bachelor’s
degree (licence), the master’s degree (master) and the
doctorate (doctorat).
 Admission to diplôme de licence programs is based on the baccalauréat,
the national school leaving certificate. The licence degree is issued after
three years of study and 180 ECTS credits. There is also a professional
version of this degree called the diplôme de licence professionnel for
students who hold the BTS or the DUT (see above). The program is one
year in duration and requires the completion of 60 ECTS credits.
 Following the licence, students may continue studies at the graduate
level. After two years of study and completion of 120 ECTS credits, they
earn the grade de master. The master allows students access to the
third cycle of education. The third cycle of education leads to
the doctorat. It requires a minimum of three years of study and the
completion and defense of a thesis.

11.  The professional programs in medicine, dentistry and
pharmacy all begin with a common year of health-
related study (première année commune aux etudes de
santé). After the first year, students must sit for a
competitive examination. This limits the number of
students eligible for further medical, pharmaceutical
and dental study.

12.  General Medicine
 Medical study is offered at universities
and is grouped into three cycles. The first
medical cycle (premier cycle en médicine)
requires two years of study, one of which
is the common year (see above).The
second cycle (deuxième cycle en
médecine) requires four years of study.
The third cycle of medical study varies in
length depending on the program
chosen.
 Students that follow the general program
complete a three-year residency
(résidanat) and defend a thesis to earn le
Diplôme d’État de Docteur en
Médecine (State Diploma of Doctor of
Medicine). This allows the holder to
practice general medicine.
 Medical Specialists
 For students following a specialist
program, the third cycle requires a four
or five year internship (internat). After
completion of the program and defense
of the thesis, students earn the Diplôme
d’État de Docteur en Médecine and le
Diplôme d’Etudes Spécialisées (Diploma
of Specialized Studies) is awarded after
completion of the internship. This allows
the holder to practice as a medical
specialist.

13.  PHARMACY
 Following the first year of
general health study,
students complete an
additional five years of
study to earn the Diplôme
d’État de Docteur en
Pharmacie (State Diploma
of Doctor of Pharmacy).
This allows the holder to
practice as a pharmacist.
 Dentistry
 Following the first year of
general health study,
students complete a
program of an additional
five to seven years of study.
This earns them
the Diplôme d’État de
Docteur en Chirurgie-
Dentaire (State Diploma of
Doctor of Dentistry). This
allows the holder to
practice as a dentist.

14. In addition to universities, France is home to over 200 grandes écoles.
These schools are specialized institutions, and about 30 of them are
considered to be very prestigious. They offer programs in areas such as
engineering, education, architecture and business administration.
Admission to the grandes écoles requires the completion of two years of
preparatory study and passing a competitive examination (concours).
This is followed by a three-year program of study. Some schools admit
students directly after the baccalaureate examination and offer a five-
year program leading to a diploma in engineering.

15.  Engineering study can be completed at universities
and engineering grandes écoles and culminates in
the diplôme d’ingénieur (Diploma of Engineer). Entry
into these programs is very competitive. Admission is
usually achieved through completion of preparatory
study, the DUT or the BTS and with a competitive
entrance examination. The engineering program lasts
three years.

16.  These are post-graduate diplomas offered at grandes
écoles following a one-year program comprised of
coursework, research and a thesis.

17. Institutional
Recognition (Reconnaissance
d’un établissement)
 The Ministry of Education can grant
academic recognition by decree.
Recognized private institutions
receive state funding and students
are able to apply for public grants.
 Diplomas issued by institutions
with this status bear the title
“établissement d’enseignement
supérieur privé reconnu par l’état”
(private higher education
institution recognized by the State).
 Once an institution has been recognized for a
minimum of five years, it may apply for its
degrees to be validated by the State.
 In order for this to occur, the institution must
submit to continuous reviews of its program,
including the curriculum and graduation
requirements, the quality of instruction, and
the level of job integration after degree
conferral.
 When the degree has been given the title visé
par l’État, it signifies a standardized level of
quality for the program. This status is awarded
in a ministerial decree and lasts for a
maximum of six years, at which point the
program would have to be reevaluated to
ensure quality.
Degrees Validated by the
State (Visé par l’État)

18.  French policy for open education is the result of a combination of centralized
and grassroots approaches.
The Ministry of Higher Education has, for the past seventeen years, co-funded
the development of OERs, through several initiatives: “digital campuses”,
“regional digital universities” and “thematic digital universities”.
 FRENCH EDUCATIONAL GOAL:
1. Focuses on existing universities; policy makers support their radical digital
transformation, to maintain their competitiveness on global markets, and
emphasize competencies and skills for a diverse student body that mixes
experiences at work and at universities throughout their life.
2. Academic research remains at the core of the production of knowledge, it
does not guarantee excellence in the learning experience of students.
3. To support large-scale deployments of life-long professional learning, with no
explicit connection to higher education institutions
 Maintaining a dynamic balance between these perspectives is a major
challenge for French policy makers in open education.