There are more than 12,500 private schools in France, covering all levels of education.  Over 2 million students in France attend private schools, making up over 17 percent of school enrolment.

While some are undoubtedly expensive and elite, others are surprisingly affordable and provide an extra option for parents when deciding on a school for their children.

You can listen to the team from The Local discussing private schooling, and the argument the education minister is embroiled in about it, in the new episode of Talking France. Download here or listen on the link below

There are two types of private school in France – ‘sous contrat’ and ‘hors contrat’ – this classification determines both how the school is funded, as well as how it can approach curriculum as well as social matters like religion and sex education.

Sous contrat

Sous contrat schools, of which there are about 7,500 in France, are partially-funded by the state – teachers are paid by the Department of Education, for example – but also charge fees.

READ MORE: Fees to class sizes – what you need to know about private schools in France

The vast majority (96 percent) of sous contrat schools are Catholic. Typically, financial aid, including scholarships, would be available for less well-off families in sous contrat schools.

These schools teach the national curriculum, similar to state schools, and prepare pupils for the brevet and baccalaureat exams. Sous contrat schools can be stripped of their state funding if they are found not to be following the state curriculum – this sometimes happens with religious schools who are found to have inadequate teaching on social issues.

They are significantly cheaper to attend than hors contrat schools.

Hors contrat

Hors contrat schools – which number about 2,500 – are closer to how private schools operate in the UK or the US. They receive no state funding (and therefore charge much higher fees) and can chose their own curriculum and teaching methods – although they must still meet general education requirements.

Private international schools found in most big cities, such as the American and British Schools of Paris, are hors contrat, but still follow mainstream teaching methods. One primary difference would be preparing students for different qualifications, including American High School Diplomas and SATs, British GCSEs and A-Levels, or the international baccalaureate.

Hors contrat schools must still pass administrative inspections verifying that the principal and teachers have the necessary qualifications to carry out their duties, and that the school respects public order, as well as health and safety regulations.

The school must ensure that students are taught from a ‘common skills base’ which would include things like literacy and maths.

They are free to follow their own teaching on issues like LGBTQ rights and sex education, but are still bound by the laws of the land on issues like discrimination or inciting hatred.

State v private

In comparison to private schools, there are around 60,000 state schools in France.

In general, many parents see smaller class sizes, greater individualised attention, as well as more funding for extracurricular activities, equipment and arts, music, or language classes as the main benefits to private school education.

There is also a difference in how teachers are hired between state and private schools.

Sous contrat private schools have a say in the hiring process, unlike public schools, even though teachers are still paid by the state. At a sous contrat private school, the head of the school (usually the principal) can veto the appointment of a teacher. In contrast, in the public sector, “it’s the national system that determines which teachers are appointed and where. School heads have no say in the matter”, Xavier Marand of the Snes-FSU union told Le Parisien.

And when it comes to ‘hors contrat‘ schools, as teachers are not paid by the state, their hiring is entirely left up to the schools, as long as they meet minimum training requirements.

Cost

Sous contrat schools typically offer sliding scale pricing based on household income, but because of their stare funding they are less expensive.

In 2021, the average family paid around €366 a year for nursery (maternelle) and primary school, and around €650 a year for secondary school.

On top of school fees, parents usually have to pay extra for the canteen if their child eats at school, as well as whether the school offers extra-curricular activities. The cost for these vary from one school to another. 

Sous contrat schools in the Paris region tend to be costlier than other parts of the country. For example, the école Saint Jean in Paris charged between €1,415 per year (for primary school) and €1,971 (for lycée, secondary school).

Hors contrat schools (including international schools) charge a lot more. The American School of Paris, for example, charges €38,560 a year for older pupils, who follow a US-style education, with additional charges for a range of activities. 

Fees at the British School of Paris, meanwhile, start at €19,126 a year for nursery children, rising to €31,498 for A-level students.

READ MORE: Just how much do private schools in France cost?

Freedom of religion

French state schools must follow strict rules for maintaining laïcité (secularism). This means that pupils and teachers cannot wear overt signs of religion, including crosses, kippahs and hijabs.

The rules are different in private schools. For hors contrat schools, the state cannot impose secularism rules.

When it comes to sous contrat schools, nothing prevents the school from demonstrating its adherence to a religion, provided it does not constitute an act of pressure or undermine freedom of conscience – and indeed the vast majority of sous contrat schools are Catholic schools.

However, schools that receive state funding must follow the state curriculum, including sexual education courses for children in secondary school.

Schools can lose their funding if they fail to do so. Such a procedure was announced by departmental authorities in northern France in December regarding the private Muslim secondary school – the Averroes school – due to irregularities in the school’s management, and its teachings — notably of Muslim ethics — that it judged to be in violation of French republican values.

French daily Le Parisien reported that inspectors found teaching was lacking on societal content such as LGBTQ topics, and an excessive emphasis on Islam in courses on religion, to the detriment of other faiths. The school responded saying it would launch an administrative appeal.

Similarly, the ministry of education opened an inquiry into the Catholic private sous contrat school, Collège Stanislas, in Paris after reports of homophobia and sexism.

Uniforms

In mainland France, uniforms are not the norm in state schools, and many private schools do not require them either.

Oftentimes, it will be religious schools or military schools that use uniforms.

However, this may be changing – the French education ministry announced details of a pilot scheme to introduce uniforms in state schools at the start of the 2024 school year.