SETTLING IN - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette - page 117

is born. Your mairie should have a list of the municipal
crèches in the arrondissement and advice on how to enroll
a child.
Children are dropped off at the crèche between 8:00 am
and 10:00 am and picked up between 4:00 pm and 6:00
pm. A crèche parentale is run on the same principle, but
parents volunteer in various capacities, so the fees are
slightly lower.
An halte garderie is flexible in its hours. If there is a place
available, a parent may deposit a child for a few hours.
The system is designed for mothers who need to schedule
appointments or go shopping for a few hours without the
child. Children are not registered in advance and a place is
not guaranteed on any given day. An halte garderie privée is
more like a crèche in that the child is registered and comes
on a regular basis, but the hours are flexible. Unfortunately,
as with the crèches , there are few spaces available.
French Educational System
The French public school system is demanding and rigorous.
For detailed information on the educational system, access
the city's website at http://www.paris.fr and click on the
'Guide for Foreign Residents' tab. (For university education,
see pages 173-184.)
Non-compulsory
Age 2: jardins d'enfants (pre-nursery schools)
Ages 3-6: écoles maternelles (nursery schools).
Compulsory Elementary Education
From the ages 6-16: each student has a carnet du liaison , a
permanent file with grades and teachers' comments entered
year after year.
École primaire (can be coeducational or not). Progresses
from preparatory to elementary to intermediate levels.
Usually finishes around age 10.
Premier cycle is the collège (which should not be confused
with the English 'college'). Here, education begins
according to each child's aptitude and interests.