SEE: Number of pupils per class in France, funding and more

Children in France returned to (or started) school yesterday (September 4), as the new academic year began.

Almost 12 million pupils are in primary and secondary education in France for the 2023/2024 academic year, spread out among nearly 60,000 schools.

A number of changes have been put in place for the year, controversially including the banning of the abaya dress, often worn by Muslim girls.

The chart below details some key statistics about French schools, including class sizes and funding levels.

Credit: VisActu / The Connexion

When it comes to class sizes, the figures in the UK are largely reversed between younger and older pupils. The average class size for primary school students in 2022 was 26.7 pupils, whereas for secondary schools it is 22.4.

In the US, the average elementary school class size is 23.5, and for secondary education (middle and high schools) averages to 20.2, although the data related to 2017.

Funding per pupil across the education sector in England is around £6,000 (almost €7,000 by current exchange rates), although this does exclude the cost of teacher’s salaries.

In 2022, the spend per pupil in the US was $14,347, around €13,345.

All the figures above are from government sources although what exactly was covered was not readily available.

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