Benjamin Whistler
Staff Writer
If at times high school seems dull, routine, difficult and depressing, Costa students should remember that they are not the only ones feeling the weight of education.
Students our age are “suffering” through their secondary education everywhere in the Western World.
In France specifically, there are a variety of differences in their school systems compared to that of the United States.
“The school year begins at the start of September, and usually ends sometime around exams at the end of July. We have to take an exam, the ‘Brevet des Collèges,’ just to get into high school (which is only three years long). We spend those three years preparing for the universities and our future possibilities,” said Collège André Maurois alumnus Paul Therenot.
French students do not spend six periods in school five days a week. They have class more days a week for less time. Depending on what their future educational plans are, students usually spend as much time in the classroom as most Mustangs. However, high school is not easier for them just because the school day is shorter.
“I think French schools are a bit like American schools in that we have about seven hours of class each day,” said Lycée Jules Verne student Edouard Delbende. “We study on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday morning, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning. Every week I have seven and a half hours of math, five hours of chemistry, four hours of biology, two hours of sports, three hours of English and Spanish, plus four hours of philosophy.”
Most European schools, French ones in particular, also bridge language gaps much more intensely. Many schools require students to be proficient in at least one, and often multiple, languages. Often, students choose English.
“I believe that English is a simple language to master,”said Lycée Francais De New York Parisian student Jeremi Lahmi. “French, the language of love, is a lot more esteemed. I’ve heard that American schools are a piece of cake compared to French schools.”
One of the primary functions of high school both here and in France is to prepare students for higher education, such as colleges and universities. In France, students are expected to take the “baccalauréat,” the French version of the SAT or ACT. Those who pass may move on to more prestigious schools.
“In the normal French universities, you can generally enter with only your baccalauréat,” said Lycée Emile Rouse de Confolens student Adèle Mauroux.
“You don’t have to pass any kind of special exams and it is cheaper to attend these schools than if you try to enter the ‘Grandes Ecoles.’ To enter in difficult schools, you prepare for entrance exams known as ‘concours.’ This preparation takes two or three very intensive years of extra classes. If you are accepted to one of the Grandes Ecoles, your must work for another three to five years and is very expensive.”
The French schools are very similar to Mira Costa in another fundamental way: when it comes to homework, the French also have assignments that turn their evenings into long endless nights of concentration and hard work.
“I’ve heard that the French have so much homework, it cuts into their bathing time,” said junior Michael Forbes. “Still, I think we have a lot of homework as it is, so it’s possible that the French are going a little overboard.”
Despite the difference in primary languages and cultures, French high schools are similar to Mira Costa in many ways. Students in both countries are expected to spend long hours in the classroom and studying every night, and if a student intends to pursue a higher education, they must prepare carefully to take exams that will get them into the colleges or universities of their choice. Next time Mustangs think about complaining about their school workload, they should remember that the French are in the same position.
“When I feel like surrendering to the overwhelming weight of homework, I take a step back and think to myself, ‘Wait, this is one battle the French haven’t given up on yet!’” Costa sophomore Zachary Kay said.
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