What are French schools really like?

[Debra]

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[Viv]

As far as I'm aware and I'm sure I will be corrected if wrong, they don't have to do National service as we think ( posted to some hell hole for a year or two) but can do it in other ways, some sort of "community service".

[Debra]

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[Mistral]

Service militaire has been phased out over the last 10 years or so. It went from 2 years, to 18 months, then to 10 months and now it's a "journée du citoyen" which I have a feeling they just use to get statistics on a single age group. I think they are supposed to have lessons during that day on how to be a good citizen and how to vote (or something like) but I haven't had any echos back yet. It's both boys and girls now. 16 year old french people are supposed to register with the mairie.

I can't remember the exact details on the dual nationality thing, but yes, when the service was still in place dual nationals were supposed to do it. I think there were agreements between france and other countries who also had national service about whether they did both or only one and if so which one. I have heard stories of french nationals who had never set foot in france not being able to visit even on holiday unless they wanted to do their service.  The blurb from the british embassy always reminds you that if you have dual nationality, having British nationality doesn't exempt you from doing national service in the other country

 

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Millitary national service is no longer a requirement in France - the

army, etc are now fully professional. I don't think that there is any

longer any requirement to any alternative community service either.

As far as I know, children with duel French / British nationality have

to decide at 16 which to keep. If not, well there used to be a warning

on the inside cover of the old blue passport to the effect that the

British authorities could not proctect duel nationals from any

requirement to carry out millitary service in the other nation of which

they are a citizen. Presumably the reverse would apply as well. The

only person I ever met who fell foul of something like this had Greek /

Canadian duel citizenship, served with distinction as an officer in the

paratroops in Canada and then had to spend 18 months as a private

cleaning latrines in a barracks in the wastes of Greek Macedonia.

[Debra]

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[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Debra"]

Do they really have to choose one or the other

nationality?  I'd heard that children born in France had to do

this at some point but I thought that if you had dual nationality you

could keep it.

[/quote]

Fairly sure, yes. Duel nationality is becoming rarer. In Europe the

logic seems that citizens of one EU nation will one day have rights of

citizens (ie they can vote) wherever they pay tax. In the meantime

(this ideal is some way off!) changing citizenship is relatively

straightforward within the Union should one wish to do so. I'm not

overly familiar with the terms of the nationality act in the UK, but I

believe that children born in Britain to British parents will never

lose their right to British citizenship, whatever nationality they

susequently take, so they could always change back should the occasion

demand.  I'm sure that there must be someone better informed than

I out there...there usually is!

[Debra]

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[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Debra"]This thread seems to cover it all and it seems you can have both: http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/559952/ShowPost.aspx[/quote]

 

I remember the thread, but I thought that the situation had moved on

since it was discussed. One might have thought that this would be an

easy thing to find out, but a quick flick through various internet

sites (some official, some not) doesn't really serve to clarify

matters...

[Debra]

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[SaligoBay]

Just been reading about a teacher in a Catholic school who said to his only Jewish pupil "if you're cold in the playground, I'm sure you can find room in an oven".  Ouch!  The parents are, of course, porting plainte.

My son has a teacher who, when overcome with the stress, threatens to throw herself out of the window.  Non mais!   She has been shut in a cupboard by pupils in a wizard wheeze (not my son's class, I hasten to add!).

Got to love them, these teachers!

[Viv]

[quote user="SaligoBay"]

Just been reading about a teacher in a Catholic school who said to his only Jewish pupil "if you're cold in the playground, I'm sure you can find room in an oven".  Ouch!  The parents are, of course, porting plainte.

 

[/quote]

Gosh that is shocking! In the UK, that teacher would be facing suspension at least, be interesting to see how this incident develops.

[Teamedup]

Children born in France to non french parents have to fulfill certain conditions to get french/dual nationality.If they fulfill these conditions then it is up to them as to whether they chose to take french nationality or not, but they must prove that they have the right to the nationality in another country if they are going to refuse nationality.

 

Also if they do nothing about this when they are 18, then they will be french automatically holding dual nationality, BUT would still have to prove that they have the right to this.

 

Best people to see are at the Tribunal d'Instance. And as I say, it is entirely up to a child that is born in France with non french parents if they want to take the french option (if they qualify so to do).

 

If the child chose to be french then they would have to register for whatever national service/community thing that needed registering to.

[Val_2]

My son has just arrived home from Lycée. The students have padlocked all the entrances to keep the teachers and everyone else out and are striking off their own back with regard to the CPE problems again. If I mark on his letter of absence which will probably arrive on Monday that the cause is strike, he will get detention so "malade" will be the cause again.

[Debra]

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[Teamedup]

The child has to, as well as being born in the country, to have had 5 years french residence between the age of 11 and 18 and this has to be proved. So if say a baby was born in France, then the non french parents leave France when the child is 12 never to return then the child will not be french or have the right to ask for french nationality.

As always one has to check up on such information at the Tribunal d'Instance.

[SaligoBay]

Belgian schools are trying to put a legal limit on the number of French students, because they're outnumbering the local Belgians.  Why are there so many French students crowding into Belgium?   They must have their reasons.

[Teamedup]

One of our sons friends started uni in Belgium last autumn. She has gone there for very good reasons.

[Lisa Mobile Hairdresser Creuse]

Hi, We put our three children in an all french school here in the creuse region and what can i say, 100% better than the school in England. Your boys will prob be in marternal together and being so young will be fine. It took about 8 months for our children to be fluent in french but from day one they have really enjoyed school. If you would like any advice just ask always happy to help.

Lisa - www.lisahaircreuse.com