New fee-paying schools are springing up around France, a country previously known to be fiercely proud of its highly regarded state education system, to meet a new and growing demand for an alternative to the rapidly declining state system. Last year 51 new private schools were created, and the momentum is growing. The number of students attending these “free schools” has risen from about 10,000 in 2008 to more than 30,000 this year, according to figures released by France’s Ministry of Education.
New fee-paying schools are springing up around France, a country previously known to be fiercely proud of its highly regarded state education system, to meet a new and growing demand for an alternative to the rapidly declining state system. Last year 51 new private schools were created, and the momentum is growing. French parents are searching for alternatives to state schools as the system has spiralled downward over the past 15 years, with rapidly deteriorating pupil performance and growing social inequality, leading to 25% of French students now leaving school without completing their secondary education.