Home Schooling in France

Understand the legalities of home schooling your children in France...

Home schooling in France has been legal since December 1998; annual registration is compulsory. A declaration must be made each year at the Mairie of the place of residence and at the school inspectorate (inspecteur d’académie or rectorat). For children from the age of six to sixteen in home schooling an annual visit will be made by the school inspector (inspecteur d’académie) and at a minimum every two years by the mairie. In the event of two unsatisfactory inspections, the parents can be ordered to send the child to school. In the event of a change of address, a declaration must be made at the mairie of the place of residence within eight days of the move.

Various methods exist for teaching children at home, for example correspondence classes or Montessori. However the law requires that children acquire the following knowledge and reach a level of education that can be compared with that of children in school:

  • Good command of written and spoken French
  • French literature
  • Principles of mathematics
  • One foreign language
  • Basics of science and technology
  • Basics of history and geography of France, Europe and the rest of the world
  • Artistic education
  • Sports
National exams can be taken by registering at the rectorat. Further information is available from the government education website and Les Enfants d’Abord, a French organisation for home schooling families. Parent Concept provides information about homeschooling in France.