Privee v Publique

[Kateloustear]

Our daughter currently attends the local village primaire in CP. She is doing very well and is very happy and has made a couple of lovely friends and a few other ones (who I wouldn't describe as lovely!!). When we arrived we knew that the local college had a bad reputation and planned to take her further afield when that day comes. However, we have now heard that the primaire is not doing so well and that standards are pretty poor and we now have the dilemma of changing schools next September. We originally planned to put her in a private school in the city at college age but we're now discussing the possibility of sending her to a private primaire later this year. Has anybody got any experience of the ecole privee's? I have an appointment to go with one of the other mothers tomorrow to check one of them out. Apparently we are not the only parents thinking along these lines! I understand that they offer a wider range of activities and subjects for the children which I think would be a plus. Any advice would be welcome.

Kate

[GRT17]

Kate, Our children are well past school age, we don't live in France full time and I have no experience of this dilemma but I have read "On Rue Tatin" and the American author decided to send her child to a private school and was much happier with that. I expect that as with so many things it all depends on the region in which you live.
good luck

Gill

[Ckeywood]

Our children now 8 and 6 attend a local private primaire. They love it. The quality of education is very good. Discipline is very good. They have made some very nice friends. The French children come and greet us when we arrive and are always keen to show off their English. The staff are fabulous and were very helpful when we were trying to settle the children. They study a good selection of subjects with priority given to the basics. So far we can't fault them. I don't think you or your daughter will be disappointed.

[Mistral]

There are two kinds of private schools in France. "Priv sous contrat" and "priv hors contract". The "sous contract" ones have an agreement with the education national and follow the same curriculum as state schools. In return they get money from the state which allows them to keep fees very low and (usually) means related. They are generally religious but whereas that used to mean that all lessons started with a prayer and the teaching was done by nuns, it's more likely to mean that there is a crucifx in each classroom and a nativity play at christmas.

A lot of people send their children there because the level of discipline is often better than in a state school. Because the teachers are recruted directly by the school, you are more likely to a a coherant school ethic/mentality and teachers more implicated in what they are doing. There was a time when class numbers were a lot lower than in state schools but apparently that's not so much the case now.

The teachers won't have followed the French teacher training system. But quite a few teachers in the state system haven't either and it is more subject based than pedagogic.

The negative things can be that lack of funds means less equipment. If the local state schools aren't popular then the classes can be very full. Since the strikes last spring, a lot more people have put their children in private schools.

A report on the news last year mentioned that primary schools and collges were particularly popular for the discipline and more child centred approach but that state lyces were more popular because the subject based teaching was more in line with what was needed for the Bac.

A priv hors contract has no state aid and can more or less teach what and how it wants but they are much more expensive.

[Deby]

I sent my daughter to a privee in a small french city (grenoble) it was very good. It was a religious one but not at all over the top. I was very happy with it and so was my daughter, we have now moved to a small country village and my daughter has a new school which is state run and she loves it too - I think even moreso than thelast one as the class sizes are smaller so she gets more attention!

I have also taught in French state schools and there is a huge disparity - the questions you really should ask are not so much privee or publique but these:
class sizes
teaching quality
location (if the area is a bit dodgy, this makes a huge difference due to the parental influences/guidance)
facilities
general word of mouth.

Your comments about children pulling faces, shows a little disrespect but also shows humour - I do find that children 'fear' teachers here and I feel in France a bit OTT - a good teacher is not based on fear and discipline, it is simply about gaining their trust and respect, but also setting out rules.

The privee my daughter when to was very good, but she is creative and I feel that ultimately this school would have hindered her creativity and focused very much on the 3 R's, but then it is down to what you want for your children.

I hope my comments help you and give you food for thought. Whilst I love france dearly and I want my children to grow up with a mind that provokes issues and questions things, something very amiss in the french rote-learning system. I have to adjust to these things myself otherwise I would have to move back to the UK and be faced by issues there. It is a trade-off.

Let me know how you get on.

Best regards
Deby

[Battypuss]

At the moment, I have two children inschool, one in CM2 at a private school, one in CM1 at a public school. They were both enrolled at the private school as my local school has a diabolical reputation and I refused to put them there! The eldest adores her school, the younger hated it,to such an extent that just before Easter I hauled her out and went to do battle with the mayor to allow her to go to another school in town, out of their "cachemenet area". Both schools are great. I think it depends on the children...the private ones are certainly snobbier, nastier and generally unpleasant. But eldest daughter takes no notice of that, younger one did.