The Great Project of an « Education Nationale »

by Dr. Philippe Richard, Directory for Catholic Teaching (South Burgundy).

The School Administration in Europe, Madeira, 6th May 2009

Education has helped French nation to growth in the republican culture of 1789.

For the revolutionaries, equal Education of all citizens in the spirit of human rights was a major political foundation of a new order, written in the Constitution.

The principles of this national education were (and are always) neutrality, equality, democracy, and gratuity.

Each citizen from all parts of France (and also former empire) must have the right to learn the same things.

“Nos ancêtres les gaulois ...” National Education represents a real

monument ...difficult to change

In France, Education represents a national public service, from pre-primary to high level.

At the Head of this public service, the Ministry of National Education (MEN).

In each administrative regions (22), MEN is represented by a « Rectorat d’Académie ».

The « Rector » is the direct representative of the Minister in each Region.

The Rector obtains means (number of teachers) from MEN and share them unilaterally between different schools. The number of students in each school represents the most principal criteria of attribution of means.

From North to South and West to East, the academic programs are strictly the same. The students pass the same final exam (Baccalauréat).

All the teachers (public and private) pass the same concourse for their recruitment (national recruitment). They are civil servant.

At the beginning of their career, they can be named on the whole territory.

The academic programs are elaborated in the framework of MEN by different national commissions.

From 1959 (« Loi Debré »), private sector has obtained the same rights that public.

If a private school has signed a «contrat d’association » (association contract) with the State, it can obtained the payment of its academic activities at the condition it respects the contract :

- implementation of the official programs - preparation of official exams - recruitment of teachers agreed by MEN,

and inspected by it.

About 12% of pupils are in private schools. Private sector is confessional for 90% and

essentially catholic (congregations and dioceses). In each Diocese there is a Directeur Diocésain de

l’Enseignement catholique who manage in cooperation with the Rector private confessional Schools.

Private confessional schools are the right to add time for religious education in their time table, due to their “own character” (caractère propre) recognized by the law.

Pre-primaries and primaries schools are granted by cities, secondary schools(first level-collèges) by departments and upper secondary schools (Lycées) by regions.

In each public school, the Headmaster is designed by Administration after he passes a concourse f recruitment.

In secondary, he has a second. In each school there is an Administration Council

who manage the school and take decisions in the strict respect of allowed annual budget by Rectorat. Representatives of parents, teachers trade-unions, local authorities , etc seat in this Council.

In primary school, there is a « Conseil d’Etablissement ».

All investments for building (Renovation or construction) are decided and taken in charge by competent authorities (cities, department or region)

Each teacher pass a concourse after 4 or 5 years of studies and is titularised after one academic year. He teaches 18h a week or 15h if he has the grade of “agrégé”.

He is examined by an Inspector each 10 years (average), which gives him an academic mark.

Each year he receive an administrative mark given by the Headmaster, which complete the academic mark given by Inspector. The average of those two marks permit him to progress on the scale of remuneration.

Only the Headmaster will be evaluated in the next years.

Thank you for attention