Le site perso d'un Américain qui explique "the french school"

The Ministry of Education is, by far, the largest employer in France and (it is said) the second in the world (after the Red Army!). Writes Nadeau : " An outstanding feature of French education is the authority of teachers. The French don't regard childhood as an age of innocence but see it as an age of ignorance. Children must be set straight and corrected."

The grading system is extremely tough. Hardly anyone ever gets a 20 or even an 18 or 19. Teachers read the grades out loud when they hand back homework and tests. School is hard on French children : read in Baudry or in French Toast how it can impact the whole personality of the French. An important thing to know : in France, the grade you get is not aimed at stimulating you to improve but to punish you so you react and get better. This is why sometimes American universities are surprised when the best French student (from the Grandes Ecoles) apply when their grades in math are around 7 or 9 (a C- in France) and, when admitted, get an A+ in the USA!

Education is almost free at all levels (tuition around $200 a year at Sorbonne : read below) except for private schools and business schools. 26% of university students receive scholarships. But it is a fact that French Universities do not offer as many services and facilities as American universities and from this standpoint, only Grandes Ecoles compare to the US system.