Les Années scolaires
If you have additional information about the school systems in these or any other francophone countries, please feel free to add it to our discussion on the forum and I will incorporate it into this page.
| AGE | France | Québec système francophone |
United States |
| 0-1 | Preschool - as young as 6 months | ||
| 1-2 | Preschool | ||
| 2-3 | Preschool | ||
| 3-4 | 1st year of École maternelle | Preschool | |
| 4-5 | École maternelle | Preschool | Preschool |
| 5-6 | École maternelle | Kindergarten | Kindergarten |
| 6-7 | Cours Préparatoire (CP), 11th grade École primaire (elementary school) | 1st grade in primaire (elementary school) | 1st grade (grade or elementary school) |
| 7-8 | Cours Elémentaire 1 (CE1), 10th grade | 2nd grade | 2nd grade |
| 8-9 | CE2, 9th grade | 3rd grade | 3rd grade |
| 9-10 | Cours Moyen 1 (CM1), 8th grade | 4th grade | 4th grade |
| 10-11 | CM2, 7th grade | 5th grade | 5th grade |
| 11-12 | 6th grade Collège (Junior high school) | 6th grade (There used to be a 7th grade, but it no longer exists) |
6th grade |
| 12-13 | 5th grade Collège | 8th grade or secondaire 1 | 7th grade |
| 13-14 | 4th grade Collège | 9th grade or secondaire 2 | 8th grade |
| 14-15 | 3rd grade Collège -> Brevet des Collèges (exam) | 10th grade or secondaire 3 | 9th grade - high school: freshman year |
| 15-16 | 2nd grade Lycée (High school) | 11th grade or secondaire 4 | 10th grade - sophomore |
| 16-17 | 1st grade Lycée -> |
12th grade or secondaire 5 | 11th grade - junior |
| 17-18 | Terminale Lycée -> |
2 or 3 years of CEGEP | 12th grade - senior |
| 18-19 | Université | Université | College |
| Misc. | After the bac, people can go to university or learn a trade.
To become a professor or engineer, students people go to the much harder preparatory classes before the High Schools (Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles or prépa). The most famous high schools are the École Polytechnique (for engineers) and the Écoles Normales Supérieures (for professors and researchers). There are exams at the end of the prépa: the best go to the best schools. |
The baccalauréat in Québec is the diploma that marks the end of university studies (3 or 4
years)
The maîtrise is a second cycle diploma The doctorat is a third cycle diploma CEGEP (Collège d'enseignement Général et Professionnel) |
Preschool, nursery school, and pre-kindergarten are synonymous
Elementary school - three possibilities: Primary grades - grades 1-3 (sometimes includes K) Upper elementary grades - grades 4-6 (or 4-8, see above) Middle school - grades 6-8 Junior high school - grades 7-8 or 9 Three-year high school (sophomore-senior) follows a junior high school Four-year high school (freshman-senior) follows a middle school or a K-8 elementary school |
The free, twice-weekly About French newsletter keeps you informed about changes to this site, including new lessons, articles, and forum discussions. Subscribe today!
|
