Secondary education in France
Metropolitan French school holidays are scheduled by the Ministry of Education by dividing the country into three zones (A, B, and C) to prevent overcrowding by family holidaymakers of tourist destinations, such as the Mediterranean coast and ski resorts.
[1] Entry in sixième occurs directly after the last year of primary school, called Cours moyen deuxième année (CM2).
The curriculum is devised by the French Ministry of National Education and applies to all collèges in France and also for AEFE-dependent institutions.
At the end of the troisième class, students sit for le diplôme national du brevet, an end-of-collège examination.
The brevet is not required for entrance to the lycée, and passing it does not guarantee that a pupil will progress to the higher-level school.
During the last conseil de classe of the year, held in June, teachers and administrators decide whether or not a pupil can progress to the next grade.
During the seconde, students mostly take the same courses, despite having different academic skills and interests, so it is usually thought to be an easier year than either the première or the terminale.
According to the official statistics, for the 2003–2004 school year, 33 percent of all students chose série S; 19 percent chose série ES; and 11 percent chose série L.[5] All students take philosophy courses in terminale, while French language classes end in the première, excepting the série L, where they become French literature classes, where pupils are to study two books during the year, from French writers, or foreign books translated into French (e.g. Romeo and Juliet during the school year 2007–2008, or The Leopard from Italian author Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa).
For example, a student in série S can choose to specialise in mathematics, physics, "SVT" (biology and geology) or "engineering sciences" but not in philosophy.
These specialties are added to a part common to all: French, philosophy, history & geography, languages, sciences, sport.
It allows you to work or to pursue short and technical studies (laboratory, design and applied arts, hotel and restaurant, management etc.).
The courses are suitable for students who are more interested in a hands-on educational approach than in academic schooling.
There are nearly 100 specialties, including: Leather crafts; Building technician; Maintenance of industrial equipment; Cooking; Road freight transport driver; Butcher, etc and others.
For organisational reasons, students taking certain options are grouped into special classes, which may be academically attractive.
They typically include classes taking German as a first foreign language, or Latin or Ancient Greek as options.
