Under the supervision of the French authorities, the Lycée Charles-de-Gaulle is a flagship of French education. Yet he just got the worst rating from the UK education services.
For the past few weeks, the news has been stirring South Kensington, the French quarter of London. At the end of the classes, the parents only talk about the poor evaluation by the British services of their children’s school, the emblematic Charles de Gaulle high school. “It was amazement, disbelief, a little anger too, because we said to ourselves: how could we have come to this?“, explains Pascale Guely, the vice-president of the parents’ association of the Lycée Charles de Gaulle.
With an annual registration fee of almost 10,000 euros, the evaluation is difficult to digest. Karen Bargues, who heads the association, adds: “It’s a big misunderstanding. And then we, right away, think about the image, the possible loss of students that could result from it, the registration fees“.
Shortcomings in the protection of students
We were able to consult the 15-page report, published in January by Ofsted, the British inspection service. The document emphasizes the academic excellence of the school, but also deplores methodological problems: “ITeachers do not systematically check that students have fully understood what is being taught to them.” Or other shortcomings related to student safety: “IOfficials do not alert official agencies quickly enough when child protection abuses occur.”
Report Rating: “Inadequate“, or insufficient, the worst in the British system. Last year, according to Ofsted, only 8% of independent establishments in the kingdom obtained this assessment. : “Because we see ourselves as an embassy school, we feel above the laws of the land. We don’t think anyone will tell us anything. But the British intervened.”
British standards stricter than French rules
The principal of the Charles de Gaulle high school, Didier Devilard, disputes this criticism. But he acknowledges a delay in the application of the 2019 UK laws related to child protection. “We respect the requirements of French-style national education and today there is a discrepancy with English standards, says the headteacher. It’s a disappointment but it’s now time for action.” The Charles de Gaulle high school ensures that it can correct its shortcomings and obtain a better grade in the months to come. To achieve this, external consultants could be hired for several tens of thousands of euros.
Among our sources:
Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE)
London School of Economics Department of Social Policy.