Car Rental
France
Education
The French
constitution guarantees all permanent residents
a basic education. School attendance is compulsory
for students aged 6 to 16, and all public schools
up to the university level are free. Higher public
education is free for all students who qualify.
There are also private schools and colleges in
France, mostly controlled by the Roman Catholic
Church. The adult literacy rate is 99 percent,
due to which it stands to be one of the world's
highest literate countries.
French centres
of learning, beginning with the French universities
of the Middle Ages, particularly in the University
of Paris, founded in the 12th century, and continuing
down to the modern universities and technical
schools, have served as academic models throughout
the world. Among the French educators who had
notable influence are Peter Abelard in the 12th
century, Michel de Montaigne in the 16th century,
François Fénelon and Jean-Jacques
Rousseau in the 18th century, and Victor Cousin
in the 19th century.
The centralization
of school administration, with the state as the
fundamental power in education, evolved under
the leadership of Napoleon between 1806 and 1808.
The modern educational system is based on laws
enacted between 1881 and 1886 under the influence
of Jules Ferry, Minister of Education. These laws
provided for free, compulsory public education
entirely under government control. Among later
modifications were the establishment of free tuition
in secondary and technical schools; the separation
of Church and State in education in 1905; the
legislation of aid to private schools, including
those with religious affiliations, in 1951 and
1959; and, in 1959, the extension of compulsory
school attendance to the age of 16. In response
to strong student demands, educational reforms
were approved in 1968 by President Charles de
Gaulle and his Cabinet. Specifically, the new
system did away with the control of budgets, curricula,
and employment of teachers throughout the nation
by the Ministry of Education. Instead, it established
educational units at various levels, gave faculties
control of staff, and gave students a greater
voice in university life. The authority of university
professors occupying lifetime chairs to vote on
new appointments was abolished, and the establishment
of more democratic departmental structures on
a subject basis was indicated for universities.
Several of the large universities were restructured
into smaller units, and the number of French universities
increased from 23 to about 70 in the 1990s. Around
6 per cent of the country's gross national product
(GNP) was spent on education in 1996.
For administrative
purposes, the country is divided into 25 educational
districts called académies. In 1995 4,065,005
pupils attended about 41,244 primary schools.
In addition, about 5,979,690 students attended
around 11,212 secondary schools.
Some
2,062,495 students were enrolled at university
and college facilities in France in 1996-1997.
Besides the Universities of Paris I-XIII, noted
French institutes of higher education include
the Universities of Aix-Marseille I-III, the Universities
of Lille I-III, the Universities of Lyon I-III,
the Universities of Nancy I-II, and the Universities
of Strasbourg I-III.
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