The French national curriculum is delivered globally through the AEFE network (Agence pour l'Enseignement Français à l'Étranger), a French government agency that oversees 580+ schools in 140+ countries. AEFE schools come in three accreditation levels: établissements en gestion directe (directly managed by AEFE), établissements conventionnés (partnership schools) and établissements homologués (accredited schools). All deliver the same French national curriculum and lead to the same final qualification: the Baccalauréat.
The French system structures schooling as Maternelle (ages 3-6), École Élémentaire (ages 6-11), Collège (ages 11-15, ending with the Brevet exam) and Lycée (ages 15-18, ending with the Baccalauréat). The Bac is the gateway to French and global university entry. The 2021 reform abolished the old streams (L, ES, S) and replaced them with a flexible spécialité system: students choose 3 specialities in Première, drop one in Terminale, keep 2 for final exams, plus a new Grand Oral.
What makes the French system distinctive is its intellectual depth. Philosophy is compulsory in the final year of every Bac stream. a 4-hour written exam where students analyse texts and develop arguments. French, Mathematics, History-Geography are central throughout. The curriculum prizes structured argumentation (the famous dissertation) and oral defence (the Grand Oral and traditional oral exams).
Unlike most international curricula, the French system is heavily subsidised by the French government. AEFE schools typically charge $5,000-$15,000 per year. significantly below IB or American equivalents. This makes the French system extraordinary value for francophone families and increasingly attractive for non-francophone families willing to commit to French-medium instruction from primary level.
