THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2025 75 outside France. There are 580 French schools worldwide with almost 392,000 students, 65 percent of whom are not French citizens, in 139 countries. AEFE oversight results in a uniformity of curriculum and standards across the network of schools. Students in AEFE schools may seamlessly transfer to other AEFE schools worldwide without the need to translate documents or determine equivalencies across class and grade results. French-language school choices exist outside the AEFE system as well. These may be local schools in a country or province that is French-speaking or locally run French-language immersion schools, including those in Washington, D.C., and other locales. Transferring between non-AEFE and AEFE schools may involve meeting requirements of the receiving school for testing in or determining equivalencies of classes transferred. Montgomery County Schools’ Sligo Creek Elementary and Fairfax County Public Schools’ Kent Gardens Elementary are examples of non-AEFE Frenchlanguage immersion schools in the Washington, D.C., area. Parents considering French-language schooling should determine whether schools in their preferred location are non-AEFE or AEFE-certified and talk to counselors about requirements for district enrollment, testing in, or transferring credits. French Education Pros and Cons As with any school choice, positives and negatives exist. Here are some of the pros and cons, based on the recent experiences of U.S. Foreign Service families with children in the French school system. Pros: AEFE-certified schools provide a direct pathway to completion of the French baccalauréat (le bac) exams that are taken over the last two years of high school. Leading universities in the United States, Canada, Europe, and beyond recognize le bac as a high-quality and rigorous qualification for university entry. Additionally, many French schools offer high schoolers a track to the international baccalaureate (IB), a local high school degree program, or other university-entry programs such as advanced placement (AP). For instance, Rochambeau, an AEFE-certified school in Bethesda, Maryland, offers AP courses, and graduating seniors earn a dual degree: a Maryland high school diploma and le bac. In many foreign capitals, the tuition of the French school is more affordable than other international schools, allowing for a healthy mix of local and international culture. The French government via AEFE often provides financial support to these schools. The centralization of the curriculum and grading makes for smooth transitions Top Tips & Resources • Get into the system as early as possible in the child’s education journey. • Determine whether schools are non-AEFE or AEFE, and talk to counselors about requirements for enrollment, testing in, or transferring credits. • Find a map of worldwide schools and more at the Agency for French Education Abroad’s website: https://aefe.gouv.fr/. • Join the conversation with other U.S. personnel with children in, or interested in, French education at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ frenchschoolfamilies. • Talk to the school counselor, Office of Overseas Schools, and post representatives about your school choice. School U.S. System French System Nursery, Maternelle Pre-K Moyenne Section (MS) Kindergarten Grande Section (GS) Lower/Primary, First Grade Cours Préparatoire (CP) École Primaire Second Grade Cours Elémentaire 1 (CE1) Third Grade Cours Elémentaire 2 (CE2) Fourth Grade Cours Moyen 1 (CM1) Fifth Grade Cours Moyen 2 (CM2) Middle, Collège Sixth Grade Sixième (6ème) Seventh Grade Cinquième (5ème) Eighth Grade Quatrième (4ème) Ninth Grade Troisième (3ème) Upper/High, Lycée Tenth Grade Seconde (2nde) Eleventh Grade Première (1ère) Twelfth Grade Terminale (Tle)
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