This page compares the education systems of France and Singapore.
Education System Overview
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| System Type | Public-private mix; Governance model: Centralized, with national rules for curricula, qualifications and teacher recruitment, while regions, departments and municipalities manage responsibilities such as buildings, equipment and local services. [French Ministry] | Public-led system; centralized governance under the Ministry of Education, with government, government-aided, autonomous, independent, specialized and private providers. [Singapore MOE] |
| Governing Body | Ministry of National Education for school education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space for tertiary education. | Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore, which oversees national education policy, schools and publicly funded post-secondary institutions. [Singapore MOE] |
| Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP) | 5.32% of GDP (2022, latest available value for general government expenditure on education). [World Bank] | 2.2% (2024). [World Bank] |
Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Age Range | From age 3 to age 16. A separate training obligation applies from ages 16 to 18 and can be fulfilled through schooling, vocational training, employment, civic service or an approved support pathway. [Éduscol] | For Singapore Citizen children residing in Singapore, compulsory education applies from above age 6 until below age 15, with the legal obligation centered on primary education. [Singapore MOE] |
| Total Compulsory Duration (Years) | 13 years of compulsory instruction (ages 3–16), followed by the separate training obligation through age 18. | 6 years of primary education, from Primary 1 to Primary 6. [Singapore MOE] |
| Pre-primary Education (ECE) Access | Compulsory from age 3. In 2024, the schooling rate was 98.5% at age 3 and 100% at ages 4 and 5. [French Ministry] | Optional; official early-childhood data reported preschool participation of about 9 in 10 children aged 3–4 in 2021, with participation higher at ages 5–6. [ECDA] |
| Primary + Secondary Education Structure (Years) | 5 + 4 + 3 (Primary + Lower Secondary/Collège + Upper Secondary/Lycée). Pre-primary education normally adds three years before primary school. [French Ministry] | 6 + 4 for the typical primary-to-secondary route. Selected Integrated Programme pathways span six years across secondary and pre-university education. Under Full Subject-Based Banding, students take secondary subjects at G1, G2 or G3 levels rather than being placed in Express, Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical) streams. [Singapore MOE] |
| Vocational vs. General Upper Secondary Split (%) | Approximately 29.3% Vocational / 70.7% General & Technological among lycée students in 2025, based on 661,600 vocational and 1,599,400 general and technological students. [French Ministry] | — |
Academic Calendar & Instruction Time
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Year Start (Typical Month) | September. [French Ministry] | January. [Singapore MOE] |
| Academic Year End (Typical Month) | July. [French Ministry] | November. [Singapore MOE] |
| Instruction Weeks per Year | 36 weeks. [Légifrance] | Approximately 40 weeks, organized across four school terms. [Singapore MOE] |
| Instruction Days per Year | — | — |
Grading System
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Primary/Secondary Grading Scale | The 0–20 scale is widely used in secondary education, while competency-based assessment is also used, particularly during compulsory schooling. | PSLE subjects use Achievement Levels AL1–AL8. Secondary assessment varies by subject level under Full Subject-Based Banding; the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate will replace the separate N- and O-Level certificates from 2027. [Singapore MOE] |
| Higher Education Grading Scale | Commonly 0–20, with 10/20 generally representing a passing mark; higher education programs use ECTS credits within the LMD degree structure. [Campus France] | Institution-specific; for example, the National University of Singapore uses a 5.0 GPA scale, while grading systems may differ among other institutions. [NUS] |
Language of Instruction
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Instruction Languages (K–12) | French | English is the main medium of instruction in national schools, apart from Mother Tongue Language subjects. [Singapore MOE] |
| Other Official / Minority Instruction Languages (K–12) | Regional languages can be taught through bilingual or specialized programs, including Breton, Basque, Catalan, Corsican, Occitan and regional Germanic languages. | Chinese, Malay and Tamil are the main Mother Tongue Languages taught in schools. [Singapore MOE] |
School Provision & Access (K–12)
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Public School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students) | 86.4% in primary education and 78.8% in secondary education in 2025. [French Ministry] | — |
| Public School Tuition Fee (Annual, Local Currency) | $0 tuition. Public primary and secondary education is tuition-free. [French Ministry] | $0 school fee for Singapore Citizens attending government and government-aided primary schools; fees at other levels and for non-citizens vary by school level and nationality. [Singapore MOE] |
| Public Schools Nationwide Availability | Yes, with public primary and secondary education provided nationwide. | Yes; government and government-aided schools operate across Singapore. [Singapore MOE] |
| Private School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students) | Approximately 13.6% in primary education and 21.2% in secondary education in 2025. [French Ministry] | — |
| Private Schools (Geographic Concentration) | — | — |
International Schools (K–12)
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Number of International Schools (Total) | — | — |
| Number of IB World Schools | — | — |
| Main International Programmes Offered | International Baccalaureate, International Sections, Cambridge programs and American-style curricula, depending on the school. The IB currently lists French schools offering PYP, MYP, DP and CP programs. [IB] | International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge/UK curricula, American curricula and French curricula are offered by different international schools. |
Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Teacher Qualification (Public Schools) | From the 2026 recruitment session, the main external teacher recruitment competitions opened at Bachelor’s level (bac+3), followed by two years of paid initial training. Transitional bac+5 competitions continue through 2027 for candidates already following the previous route. [French Ministry] | MOE teachers complete an approved initial teacher-preparation route through the National Institute of Education (NIE). Routes include the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) for degree holders and specified diploma or degree programmes for other teaching levels and subjects. [NIE] |
| Average Class Size (Primary) | 21.1 students in elementary classes (2025). [French Ministry] | 33.8 students per form class (2024). [Singapore MOE] |
| Average Class Size (Lower Secondary) | 25.7 students in collège classes (2025). [French Ministry] | Secondary 1: 33.6 students; Secondary 2: 33.4 students per form class (2024). [Singapore MOE] |
| Average Class Size (Upper Secondary) | 30.2 students in general and technological lycée classes / 18.4 students in vocational lycée classes (2025). [French Ministry] | Secondary 3: 34.2; Secondary 4: 32.9; Secondary 5: 13.7 students per form class (2024). [Singapore MOE] |
System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| PISA Participation Years | 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD] | 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD] |
| PISA 2018 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 495 / 493 / 493. [OECD] | 569 / 549 / 551 [OECD] |
| PISA 2022 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 474 / 474 / 487. [OECD] | 575 / 543 / 561 [OECD] |
| PISA 2025 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 458 / 456 / 483. France performed close to the OECD averages of 463 in mathematics, 461 in reading and 482 in science. [OECD] | 563 / 535 / 560 [OECD] |
| PISA Performance Trend 2000–2025 | France’s 2025 results were lower than in 2022 in mathematics and reading and about the same in science. The 2025 results were among France’s lowest PISA results across all three domains and were below the levels recorded in 2015. [OECD] | Singapore first participated in 2009. Between 2022 and 2025, mathematics and reading performance was lower, while science performance was about the same. Over the longer period, science performance increased, while mathematics and reading remained relatively stable despite the recent declines. [OECD] |
| Strongest Subject Area (PISA 2025) | Science (Score: 483), followed by mathematics at 458 and reading at 456. [OECD] | Mathematics — 563 points. [OECD] |
Higher Education System
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Higher Education Institutions (Total) | More than 3,500 public and private higher education institutions. [Campus France] | — |
| Number of Universities (Research Universities) | 78 universities and communities of institutions. [Campus France] | 6 publicly funded Autonomous Universities: National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore Institute of Technology and Singapore University of Social Sciences. Singapore also has the Government-supported private University of the Arts Singapore. [Singapore MOE] |
| Number of Universities of Applied Sciences / Colleges | — | 5 polytechnics: Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic. [Singapore MOE] |
| Main Institution Types | Universities; Grandes Écoles; engineering schools; business and management schools; art and architecture schools; specialized institutions; IUT and STS programs. | Autonomous Universities; University of the Arts Singapore and its constituent arts institutions; polytechnics; Institute of Technical Education (ITE); and private education institutions. [Singapore MOE] |
| Tertiary Enrollment Share by Ownership | — | — |
| English-Taught Degree Programmes (Bachelor + Master, Total) | More than 1,600 programs taught in English. [Campus France] | — |
| Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in National Languages (%) | — | — |
| Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in English (%) | — | — |
| Main Global Ranking Used | Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2026. [Campus France] | QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 100 (Selected Ranking) | 4 in ARWU 2026: Paris-Saclay University, PSL University, Sorbonne University and Université Paris Cité. [Campus France] | 2 — National University of Singapore (#10) and Nanyang Technological University (#12) in QS 2027. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 500 (Selected Ranking) | 17 in ARWU 2026, including the four institutions in the Top 100 and 13 additional institutions ranked from 101 to 500. [Campus France] | 4 — National University of Singapore (#10), Nanyang Technological University (#12), Singapore University of Technology and Design (#266) and Singapore Management University (#=411) in QS 2027. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 1000 (Selected Ranking) | 27 in ARWU 2026. [Campus France] | 4 in QS 2027. [QS] |
| National Accreditation / QA Agency (Higher Education) | Hcéres (High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education), which evaluates higher education institutions, programs and research units. [Hcéres] | — |
| International Students (Total) | 443,500 foreign students were enrolled in French higher education in 2024/25. [Campus France] | — |
| International Students Share of Total Tertiary Enrollment (%) | Approximately 15% in 2024/25. [Campus France] | — |
Education Costs (Indicative)
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Public University Tuition Fees – Domestic / Regional (Annual, Local Currency) | Approximately $210–$740 per year for standard public Bachelor’s, Master’s and engineering registration fees in 2026/27; some institutions and programs charge different amounts. [Campus France] | For 2026 entrants, subsidized common undergraduate programmes at NTU cost Singapore Citizens about $6,550 USD annually based on the published S$8,300 fee; programme-specific fees may be higher. [NTU] |
| Public University Tuition Fees – International / Non-EU (Annual, Local Currency) | Approximately $3,400–$4,700 per year for differentiated Bachelor’s and Master’s fees in 2026/27 at institutions applying the national fee schedule; exemptions and lower fees apply in some cases. [Campus France] | At NTU for 2026 entrants, subsidized common undergraduate programmes cost about $14,240 USD annually for ASEAN international students and $16,890 USD for other international students; published non-subsidized common-program fees are higher. [NTU] |
| Typical Tuition Fees for English-Taught Programmes (Annual, Local Currency) | — | — |
| Language School Costs (Monthly, Local Currency) | — | — |
Major Education Updates & Policy Changes
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2010: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2010–2020: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2020–2024: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2025–2026: Key Updates & Reforms |
General Overview (Narrative)
| Category | France | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | France operates a centralized education system with national curricula, qualifications and teacher recruitment alongside local responsibility for school facilities and services. Compulsory instruction runs from age 3 to 16, followed by a training obligation through age 18. Primary and secondary education follow a 5+4+3 structure, with upper secondary students choosing general, technological or vocational pathways. Most students attend public schools, which are tuition-free. In PISA 2025, France scored 458 in mathematics, 456 in reading and 483 in science; mathematics and reading were lower than in 2022, while science was about the same. Higher education includes more than 3,500 institutions, including universities, Grandes Écoles, engineering schools, business schools and specialized institutions. France had 443,500 foreign students in higher education in 2024/25. Current changes include bac+3 teacher recruitment from the 2026 session, the first early mathematics examination for the baccalauréat in June 2026, and new mathematics programs introduced for seconde and première in the 2026/27 school year. | Singapore operates a centrally governed education system under the Ministry of Education, with government and government-aided schools forming the main public network alongside autonomous, independent, specialized and private providers. Compulsory education applies to Singapore Citizen children residing in the country and centers on the six-year primary cycle. Students typically progress from six years of primary school to four years of secondary education. Full Subject-Based Banding, implemented across secondary schools from the 2024 Secondary 1 cohort, allows students to take subjects at G1, G2 or G3 levels instead of being assigned to the former Express or Normal streams. English is the main medium of instruction, while Chinese, Malay and Tamil are taught as Mother Tongue Languages. In PISA 2025, Singapore scored 563 in mathematics, 535 in reading and 560 in science, with mathematics its highest-scoring core domain. Post-secondary routes include junior colleges, Millennia Institute, five polytechnics, ITE, six publicly funded Autonomous Universities and the University of the Arts Singapore. Recent changes include the removal of mid-year examinations across primary, secondary and junior college levels from 2025, expanded targeted support across 157 schools in 2026 and completion of the transition of Nitec courses to the three-year Higher Nitec structure by Academic Year 2026. |