Published on: November 17, 2024 | By: @rprasanth_kumar
In France, every child between the ages of 3 and 16 is required by law “obligation d’instruction” to receive an education. This obligation can be met by enrolling the child in a school (public or private) or, under certain exceptional conditions, by providing home instruction. This is similar to the right to education programmes seen in many countries.
For youth ages 16 to 18, there is an additional requirement for vocational training, which is overseen by local missions. Here is an overview of the essential information and procedures regarding mandatory education in France.
Children from ages 3 to 16
Parents in France have a few options for fulfilling their child’s educational requirement:
- Starting at Age 3: The child must be enrolled in preschool or, in some cases, in a kindergarten. It can be public or private school.
- Until Age 16: The child must be continuously enrolled in an appropriate school, such as elementary school, middle school, or high school.
- Home Schooling: Parents may request permission to provide home-based education (Instruction dans la famille) under specific circumstances. This option is allowed only for limited, defined reasons. If parents choose home instruction, they must request authorization from the Director of National Education Services (Directeur académique des services de l’éducation nationale – DASEN).
- Changing Residence: If the family moves, the child must be enrolled in a new school within eight days of arriving in the new location. For home-schooled children, parents must inform DASEN of the new address within the same eight-day period.
Eligible conditions for Home Schooling
You may be allowed to home school your child for any of the following reasons:
- Health or Disability status of the child
- Child’s intensive sports or artistic activities
- Family Roaming in France
- Geographical distance from any public school
- Existence of a specific situation for the child motivating the educational project
Children from ages 16 to 18
To fulfill the training obligation for 16 to 18-year-olds in France, a young person must be in one of the following situations:
- Employed: Working in a job.
- In Civic Service: Engaged in a mission of public interest (service civique).
- In a Social or Professional Insertion Program: Enrolled in programs like second-chance schools (E2C: écoles de la 2e chance), voluntary insertion contracts, or support services from agencies like France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) or local missions.
- In an Apprenticeship: Pursuing a work-study program with an Contrat d’apprentissage.
- Enrolled in a School: Continuing studies in a public or private institution, with active participation in required training activities.
Exemptions: Young people with health issues are exempt if they have a medical certificate.
Verification of Mandatory Education
Children from ages 3 to 16
- Each school year, the local mayor is responsible for compiling a list of children in the area who are subject to mandatory education. This list is updated monthly to reflect any changes.
- For children who are home-schooled, the mayor conducts an investigation in the first year of home instruction, and this is repeated every two years until the child turns 16. The purpose of this investigation is to verify the reasons for choosing home instruction.
- Throughout the year, the mayor also informs Dasen of any cases where a child is not enrolled in a school or receiving authorized home instruction.
Children from ages 16 to 18
- Local missions receive information from schools, training centers, and public institutions about young people, including their identity, contact details, and schooling history. This helps identify those not complying with the education requirement.
- Missions meet with the young person (and their legal representatives if underage) to inform them about the education obligation and propose solutions such as returning to school, enrolling in a training program, or receiving support for integration.
- If the young person misses the meeting without a valid reason, the mission reschedules with the legal representative.
- If the young person ignores follow-up requests or drops out of their training program, the mission invites them again to explore further options.
If the education requirement remains unmet after 2 months, the mission sends the case to the department services, proposing alternative solutions for the young person’s education or integration.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Failure to comply with mandatory education laws can result in the following penalties:
- Failure to Enroll: If a child is not enrolled in a school without valid justification, DASEN will issue a formal notice to the parents.
- Ignoring the Formal Notice: If the parents fail to comply with this notice, they may face up to six months in prison and a fine of €7,500.
- Unauthorized Home Schooling: Parents providing home instruction without authorization risk a fine of €1,500.
