the advantages :
1- you learn how to efficiently organize your work,( a good methodology), ’cause you have to learn a lot in a few time. I personnlly think it is very enriching and useful.
2- you have a high level in sciences
3- you are psychologically stronger and become used to huge amount of work.
From a low level, children are encouraged to learn by rote, the correct answers are what the teacher has said or more often, has handed out on photocopied sheets, and not that which is correct - our children have learnt this lesson, and much to our horror, will often deliberately repeat, in homework and texts, incorrect English to get marks from teachers who have a small inaccurate but fixed grasp of the language.
Original thought is discouraged at all levels, which probably explains why Cambridge, UK can boast more Nobel prizes than the whole of France.
I certainly don’t agree with you : your children may not have good teachers, I don’t think you should make a generality. About original thought : how about the philosophy curses we get in french high schools ? how about France being the second nation for fields prizes ?
concerning the language lessons I have to admit the level is pitiful in France (see my writing ;) ), I totally agree with you
I am amazed by the way French literature is taught. The pupils do not read and are not asked to read the books, but are encouraged to learn by rote the critiques gathered by their teachers about those books. This runs from the lowest level to the very top.
....???
I was personnally asked to read the books, had to write several kinds of essays in French and Philosophy in my high school.
If what you said is true, then you may have picked a bad school, or your children just got ONE bad teacher,but I am really surprised by your comment.
So don’t assume it is the case everywhere in France.
And about the low ranking of french schools in the world, did you just ask yourself about the criteria (shanghai ranking) used for the ranking? ’cause another criterium makes 5 french schools amongst the top 10 in the world :
of course I am not saying the french criterium is the best, but that the Shanghai one and the french one are just different. Just take into account the cultural differences and don’t assume the education in France is bad without thinking.
How old are your children ? I would like to know in which context you choose to go
first of all, forgive my poor english
being french, I can personally give my point of view about your article, but don’t assume I am just chauvinist.
I do think the french educational system has some flaws, the most important one being the mentality of elitism.
You mention the "grandes écoles" : let me tell you more about this.
After the A level you can choose to go to a "prépa" (in order to prepare competition for the "grandes écoles") or the university. (the most common studies)
The "prépa" system lasts 2 or 3 years during which you don’t learn a job, but you prepare the grandes écoles entrance exams. These years are very hard, and the competition stressful : the academic level and the workload are very high, I personnally spent 60-65 hours per week working. after 2 years the grande école you enter depend on your rank at the exam (the better you are, the better school you get).
So your comment about the ENS is wrong : there are other schools you can enter, and not only ENS or polytechnique ( and most of the students in "prépa" do get a school).
the disadvantages of this system :
1- as i said, you don’t learn a job but just theoretical, hard topics, just in order to prepare an exam (brainfilling?)
2- people who studied in "prépa" are said to be snobbish and pretentious : it is true and false. Some of them are, some of them are not, like in every school, every system, and every country.
the advantages :
1- you learn how to efficiently organize your work,( a good methodology), ’cause you have to learn a lot in a few time. I personnlly think it is very enriching and useful.
2- you have a high level in sciences
3- you are psychologically stronger and become used to huge amount of work.
The education you have in the "prépa" and "grandes écoles" is really good.
The problem is that this system is too elitist : people who consider universities as unworthy, a huge amount of subsidies is given to the "grandes écoles", whereas universities are forgotten ... therefore it creates huge inequalities.
Even if I went to "prépa", and enjoyed the curses, it doesn’t prevent me from seing the flaws of the global system.
I certainly don’t agree with you : your children may not have good teachers, I don’t think you should make a generality. About original thought : how about the philosophy curses we get in french high schools ? how about France being the second nation for fields prizes ?
concerning the language lessons I have to admit the level is pitiful in France (see my writing ;) ), I totally agree with you
....???
I was personnally asked to read the books, had to write several kinds of essays in French and Philosophy in my high school.
If what you said is true, then you may have picked a bad school, or your children just got ONE bad teacher,but I am really surprised by your comment.
So don’t assume it is the case everywhere in France.
And about the low ranking of french schools in the world, did you just ask yourself about the criteria (shanghai ranking) used for the ranking? ’cause another criterium makes 5 french schools amongst the top 10 in the world :
http://www.ensmp.fr/Actualites/PR/EMP-ranking.html
of course I am not saying the french criterium is the best, but that the Shanghai one and the french one are just different. Just take into account the cultural differences and don’t assume the education in France is bad without thinking.
How old are your children ? I would like to know in which context you choose to go