Education, talent and human resources
in the Basque Country

In France, education is compulsory from the age of 3 to 16. The French education system is secular and free (for public education), as it is managed by the Ministry of National Education. There are also private education establishments. The official language of instruction is French, although some elementary schools in the Basque Country offer bilingual (French / Basque) or entirely Basque (Euskara) instruction. The French education system consists of three phases:

• Elementary education: begins at age 3 in nursery school, then continues in elementary school from age 6 to age 11.
• Secondary education: from the age of 11, students begin a course of study at a “collège” (lower secondary school). This education is compulsory and common to all young people between the ages of 11 and 15. At the end of 4 years of study, secondary school pupils sit the Diplôme National du Brevet (DNB), certifying their level of general skills acquired. This certification, together with the overall assessment of the school year and the pupil’s wishes, enables them to choose the desired orientation for the second phase of secondary education. Upper secondary education (from age 15 to 18) can take place in a “lycée d’enseignement général et technologique” (to obtain a general or technological baccalaureate), or in a “lycée professionnel” (to obtain a vocational baccalaureate) or a CAP (certificat d’aptitude professionnel, a type of vocational qualification). Lycée schooling lasts three years: seconde, première, terminale (two years only for CAP students).
• Higher education: students have access to a wide range of options. Universities, business schools, engineering schools, preparatory classes for the grandes écoles (highly selective establishments with entrance exams). There are plenty of opportunities for everyone to find their own path.