School life in the US and France differ in their schedules and structures. In the US, students start school at 7:30 AM and get out at 2:15 PM, with shorter lunch periods of 20-25 minutes. They have spring, summer, and winter breaks. In France, kindergarten lasts 2-3 years, education is almost free at all levels, and they have a single teacher. Lunch periods are an hour long and breaks include Christmas, New Years, and longer summer holidays. Teachers are employed at the national level in France by the Ministry of Education.