Education in FranceFrance is a nation centered on culture. It is in many ways the "cultural capital of the world". France has always been a source of inspiration for many artists. Due to its strong culture and other moral factors, France is a country that is afraid of change and its education system is subject to this fear. Today in France the education system is very similar to that of the past. As other nations take steps to reform and improve their educational structures, France must be willing to follow or they will fall behind. In France the education system is managed by the state, supported by the state and is therefore essentially free. During French education, the emphasis is on knowledge transfer. This approach is different from that of the United States, where the emphasis is on showing enthusiasm for learning and how the child can find information on his own. As in the United States, education is divided into levels that must be passed sequentially to move forward. In France there are 5 levels of education. The first level is called Creche. Creche is the equivalent of daycare in the United States. The age range for the Creche is from birth to 3 years. The purpose of kindergarten is to prepare children for the next level of education. After students have completed their final year in the Creche, they move on to the Maternelle. The Maternelle is the second level of education and is aimed at children aged 3 to 5 years. It is comparable to kindergarten in the United States (Lect. Notes #4 Sp.99). This grade level is when students are first introduced to education. After students successfully complete Maternelle, they will move on to the next step of their education called Elementaire. Elementaire lasts 6 years, so basically from when kids are 5 until they turn 11 they are in Elementaire. This level of education is similar to elementary school in the United States. This is when students form bonds with other students and begin to learn what they need to get ahead in their education. After completing Elementaire, students move on to the next level called Secondaire. Secondaire is made up of two phases: first the College and then the Lycee. College is the same as middle school in the United States and students attend for 4 years. This is the time when students begin to form their own personalities and begin to notice the opposite sex. Students also begin to explore...... middle of paper......France the only way to achieve your goal is to earn a degree. Although education is important in France, it needs to be reformed to remain competitive with the education systems of other nations. France now boasts the highest youth unemployment rate of any European country. For this reason, France must reform its current education system. To reform the French education system, it needs to change. This is a problem for a nation that does not accept change very often. In 1998, the French Minister of Education found a way to fix the outdated education system. It has allocated $730 million to improve the education system over the next four years. The minister hopes that this money will reduce the youth unemployment rate in his country. Overall, the French education system is very similar to the US one. The main difference is that France places much more emphasis on knowledge transfer while the United States tries to teach children how to learn on their own and the excitement of learning. As education progressed around the world, France's fear of change meant that.