https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed French university canteens began offering one-euro meals to all students regardless of income on Monday, in a measure designed to address financial hardship. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260505/france-launches-one-euro-university-meals-for-all-students Tue, 05 May 2026 08:12:48 +0200 france-launches-one-euro-university-meals-for-all-students Preschoolers watch attentively as French actor Lucie Langlais Vignon, 41, holds up stuffed toys to tell the story of the bear cub who scolds the duckling for reaching up her skirt. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260424/hands-off-teddy-bear-tale-teaches-french-preschoolers-consent Fri, 24 Apr 2026 17:21:32 +0200 hands-off-teddy-bear-tale-teaches-french-preschoolers-consent France's education minister says that the country's "educational offering must be rethought" after projections that the school roll will fall by 1.7 million children within 10 years. Certain parts of the country will be hit harder than others. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260413/map-the-student-population-timebomb-in-french-schools Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:43:49 +0200 map-the-student-population-timebomb-in-french-schools Five of France's largest teaching unions have called a nationwide strike on Tuesday in protest at what they describe as 'austerity' budget plans for education. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260324/french-teachers-call-nationwide-strike-over-budget-cuts Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:23:03 +0100 french-teachers-call-nationwide-strike-over-budget-cuts If you start talking about higher education in France you'll soon stumble across the fact that some institutions that award degrees are universities, while others are 'grandes écoles'. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251125/explained-the-difference-between-a-french-university-and-a-grande-ecole Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:50:39 +0100 explained-the-difference-between-a-french-university-and-a-grande-ecole Sofia Corradi, the creator of the EU's Erasmus program which has sent millions of young people abroad throughout Europe to study, died in Rome aged 91, Italian media reported Saturday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251019/europes-erasmus-founder-sofia-corradi-dies-aged-91 Sun, 19 Oct 2025 07:55:22 +0200 europes-erasmus-founder-sofia-corradi-dies-aged-91 The French schooling system can often present a bit of a culture shock - both good and bad - for recent arrivals. Here are some tips from parents who have already navigated the education system. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250911/7-tips-from-parents-for-surviving-the-french-school-system Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:00:43 +0200 7-tips-from-parents-for-surviving-the-french-school-system It may sound like an odd decision, but hundreds of French students are choosing to study English in Spain rather than in the UK for reasons ranging from the weather to avoiding post-Brexit paperwork. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250825/french-students-travel-to-spain-to-learn-english Mon, 25 Aug 2025 12:51:26 +0200 french-students-travel-to-spain-to-learn-english Eight American researchers have arrived at a university in southern France, as the country pushes to offer "science asylum" to US academics hit by federal research spending cuts under Donald Trump. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250630/science-refugees-french-university-welcomes-first-us-researchers Mon, 30 Jun 2025 10:51:12 +0200 science-refugees-french-university-welcomes-first-us-researchers In France, anyone looking to graduate with a secondary school diploma must pass an hours-long philosophy exam, in addition to more prosaic subjects like maths and languages. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230612/building-citizens-why-philosophy-is-compulsory-in-french-schools Mon, 12 Jun 2023 17:16:28 +0200 building-citizens-why-philosophy-is-compulsory-in-french-schools France’s foreign minister on Saturday said his country supported students and staff at Harvard, after President Donald Trump tried to ban foreign students from the prestigious US university. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250616/france-stands-with-universities-over-trump-foreign-student-ban Mon, 16 Jun 2025 10:52:51 +0200 france-stands-with-universities-over-trump-foreign-student-ban British Netflix drama "Adolescence" -- which has sparked widespread debate about the toxic and misogynistic influences to which young boys are exposed online, can now be shown in French secondary schools -- a minister has said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250609/british-netflix-hit-adolescence-to-be-shown-in-french-schools-minister Mon, 09 Jun 2025 18:06:03 +0200 british-netflix-hit-adolescence-to-be-shown-in-french-schools-minister The 2025 rankings have been revealed for the best French towns for students - taking into account housing, transport, health and the cultural and social life. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250606/revealed-the-10-best-student-cities-in-france Fri, 06 Jun 2025 15:59:12 +0200 revealed-the-10-best-student-cities-in-france French police will start random searches for knives and other weapons concealed in bags at and around schools in a bid to fight an increase in violent attacks, the education minister said on Friday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250221/france-to-deploy-police-at-schools-for-spot-bag-searches Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:47:00 +0100 france-to-deploy-police-at-schools-for-spot-bag-searches If you want to reliably infuriate teachers in France, simply suggest cutting the length of the school holidays - this week newly appointed education minister Elisabeth Borne has made just such a suggestion. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230824/do-french-children-get-too-much-holiday Thu, 24 Aug 2023 14:02:48 +0200 do-french-children-get-too-much-holiday As pupils across France prepare to return to school, several changes are on the horizon, including trials of smartphone bans and uniforms in dozens of French schools. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240828/smartphone-bans-and-uniforms-what-changes-in-french-schools-in-autumn-2024 Wed, 28 Aug 2024 14:06:00 +0200 smartphone-bans-and-uniforms-what-changes-in-french-schools-in-autumn-2024 As tens of thousands of young people across France prepare to head off to university in September, The Local takes a look at the country’s ‘best’ student cities, based on student life, culture, post-grad opportunities and more. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240828/revealed-frances-best-cities-for-students Wed, 28 Aug 2024 17:08:10 +0200 revealed-frances-best-cities-for-students Primary school children in France will start getting lessons on how to respect animals and pets starting this autumn, after the curriculum was expanded to include animal welfare. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240821/french-primary-school-children-to-take-pet-care-classes Wed, 21 Aug 2024 18:21:06 +0200 french-primary-school-children-to-take-pet-care-classes A southern French city has become the latest education authority to begin issuing fines for tardy parents who are late to pick up their children. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240709/french-city-to-introduce-fines-for-parents-late-to-school-pick-up Tue, 09 Jul 2024 12:29:45 +0200 french-city-to-introduce-fines-for-parents-late-to-school-pick-up If you are looking to move to France to better your French language skills, some courses might allow you to qualify for a student visa - but many will not. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230821/can-i-get-a-french-student-visa-if-i-sign-up-for-a-language-course Mon, 21 Aug 2023 12:06:02 +0200 can-i-get-a-french-student-visa-if-i-sign-up-for-a-language-course