Wednesday January 30, 2008
Today in that class we learned more about how the French education system works. The little kids start out in Maternelle, which is not mandatory but everyone does it anyway because it's so wonderful. Then the students go into mandatory elementary school and then middle school (collge) and during collge is when they start to choose their career path. They choose a professional path, where they will take practical courses in high school (lycŽe) or they will take more literature or science or economic based courses depending on what they like. But I feel like it's so strange they have to choose a course of study by age 13. When I think of myself at age 13 and I think of myself now, I'm so glad I am not stuck fulfilling the wishes of that Pam back then. I was able to mature (a little bit)...and I still haven't decided on an exact career path at 21. Our whole class was taken aback by this part of the French school system as many of them had changed their majors within the past year or two. It made us feel a little bit depressed actually, wondering what it would be like to be stuck with a huge decision like that which you made in junior high.
At the end of lycŽe, there is a test called the bac that everyone must take, and anyone who passes it can go to University. And everyone who passes it does go, because it's free here, but only a small percentage remain after the first year, because the exams are so difficult that only a few can pass them and thus stay in school. And the Universities are nothing like they are at home. They don't have quads or librarires...they're just big buildings that are getting too old.
The students who scored highest on their bac when coming out of high school (the exam that everyone must take) can enter into the 'grands Žcoles' which are the incredibly selective ivy leagues of France, only the top 5% or so of French students get into them.
There is much more about the French school system I could tell you, but this is a journal, not a recitation of everything I've learned. But if I wrote more it would only be to compare the French to the American system and be grateful I went through the American one like I did.
Tonight after dinner I went to a cafe with my friend Caitlyn to watch live jazz, and it was really fun until more and more students from the American institute started to show up and we became a huge American group.
It's okay to be American, but it's not okay to dominate a room. I felt funny and I didn't stay long after that. I couldn't stop noticing how the English-speaking in the room was really loud and I started to feel embarassed. Caitlyn felt the same, and we walked home together.
