Primary Education
School education in France is highly structured and state controlled through the ministry of education, although some private schools do exist, many of which are catholic. At age 6 children are required to enterécole élémentaireprimary school to study the first 6 grades of their education. Some will have already entered kindergarten as young as 3. Here 1, or perhaps 2 teachers guide them through a curriculum including French, humanities, maths, and science to mention just a few.
Middle Education
The first 4 years that follow are spent atcollégejunior high where they hope to achieve theirbrevet des collègescertificate, although this is not required for further study.
Secondary Education
Their final four years are spent atlycééhigh school preparing to pass theirbaccalauréator “bac” which is necessary to enter university. There are different kinds of theory-oriented diplomas.Série scientifiquefocuses on natural sciences, physical sciences and maths;sérieéconomique et socialeon economics and social sciences; andsérie littéraireon French, foreign languages, philosophy, history, geography and optional arts.
Vocational Education
More practically-orientated students prefer to follow a different education route through the final 4 years of their school education. They may choose between studying for abaccalauréat technologiquewhich prepares them for professional higher studies, or abaccalauréat professionnelthat readies them to enter the job market immediately through vocational training.
Tertiary Education
There are two kinds of universities in France, namely public universities for which anybaccalauréatis sufficient, andgrandes écoles
that set higher standards. As a consequence, many public universities are overcrowded with students in their initial year. While these lower-order institutions do not specialize at undergraduate level, they may cooperate with others when it comes to graduate study. Grandes écoles, on the other hand generally focus on a single theme such as engineering or business science. Tuition costs at all tertiary institutions are low, and health insurance free through to age 21.
The origin of the University of Montpellier seems lost in the mists of time, and it may have even descended fromgallo-romanschools. Its official founding date is 1289 though, in terms of a papal bull issued by Pope Nicholas the 4th.
