Lycées

The 7 accredited French High Schools in the United Arab Emirates constitute the 6^th largest French school network in the world in terms of enrolment, with more than 10,000 students and a recognized pedagogical dynamism (numerous international, sports and cultural sections, etc.).

They welcome a wide variety of students: from French to Emirati students and nationals of other foreign countries. In order to make this diversity a wealth, the pedagogical project of these schools is based on an opening to the culture of the host country, which in the Emirates is very international, and turned towards science, modern languages, major cultural projects and innovations.

French Schools in Abu Dhabi

French schools in Dubai

The National Center for Distance Learning (CNED)

For those who wish to pursue a French education but are unable to go to one of the accredited schools in the Emirates (notably for health reasons or because of the distance from the school site), the CNED offers several solutions.

 

1. Enrollment in a Full Class

It covers the entire official program of a school year and may be selected in two ways:

 

1.1  The Regulated Enrollment is subject to a favorable opinion from the Cultural Advisor of the French embassy in the country of residence. It entitles the student to a obtain a certificate of attendance, a transcript of grades (or a competency booklet in primary school) and an orientation notice by the end of the school year. It requires attendance and it allows:

 

• to apply for a scholarship, by way of exception,
• to enroll as a school candidate for the National College Certificate (Brevet national des collèges) and for the Baccalaureate exams,

 

To enroll in a regulated full class, the student must:

 

• Not be enrolled in another institution,
• Obtain a favorable opinion from the Cultural Counselor of the French Embassy.

 

Moreover,

• At the high school level, the student must have a notice of passage to the second year of high school and not have had an interruption of more than one school year in the French educational system. If the student does not have a notice of passage or an Attendance Certificate issued by an accredited school, he or she must provide a Level Certificate approved by the Cultural Advisor (included on the page reserved for the Cultural Advisor in the Application File).
• At the middle school level, if the student does not have a notice of passage or an Attendance Certificate issued by an accredited school, he or she must provide a Level Certificate endorsed by the Cultural Advisor (included on the page reserved for the Cultural Advisor in the Application File).
• At the primary level, if the child’s schooling has been interrupted or if he or she has never been enrolled in the French educational system, he or she will generally be enrolled in the level corresponding to his or her age group, plus or minus one year. Tests may be offered to determine the child’s level.

To request a regulated enrollment, write an email to [email protected]:

*   Using the “Cultural Advisor’s Opinion” Form available on cned.fr (note that a form is required for each child requesting enrollment, with a separate order number),

*   The child’s first and family name and class

*   The parents’ mailing address

*   The reasons why the parents wish to enroll their child(ren) in the CNED and a medical certificate if it is for medical reasons,

*   The name of the school attended during the previous year or since the beginning of the year if the enrollment to the CNED is done during the year,

*   The school reports of the previous year with the opinion of the class council or the reports of the current year if the enrollment to the CNED is done during the year.

 

Once this information has been submitted to the Cultural Advisor for approval and signature, the Form will be returned to you so that you can proceed with the final enrollment to the CNED.

 

1.2 Open Enrollment does not require any authorization. A transcript of grades (or skills, for primary school) is sent automatically by the end of the course. A Completion Certificate may be issued, upon request, at the end of the course. Students may enroll for the French National Certificate of Secondary Education (brevet national des collèges) and the French Baccalaureate (baccalauréat) exams as independent candidates.

 

2. Enrollment for “à la Carte” Courses

This enrollment gives access to a choice of subjects in the program.

 

2.1 Regulated Enrollment (only for Collège and Lycée) allows a student enrolled in an accredited educational institution to take one or more subjects that are not offered or are incompatible with his or her schedule. Authorization from the school principal is required. The transcript sent must be integrated with that of the school the student attends and the CNED’s assessment taken into account in the orientation notice.

 

2.2 Open Enrollment allows a student to discover, deepen, or achieve personal progress in one or more subjects of his/her choice. No authorization is required. A transcript is sent automatically by the end of the course. A Completion Certificate may be issued, upon request, by the end of the course. Students may enroll for the French National Certificate of Secondary Education (Brevet national des collèges) and the French Baccalaureate (baccalauréat) exams as independent candidates.

 

3. Enrollment for the International Additional Schooling

It is intended for students who do not attend a school accredited by the French Ministry of Education and who are enrolled in another school in the Emirates.

 

The objective is to allow these students to follow an additional distance learning course in French, which will help them to continue their studies in the French educational system. This offer is proposed from kindergarten to the final year of high school and covers three basic subjects.

 

At the end of the course, provided that at least 75% of the assignments in each of the three subjects have been graded, a report with the student’s results and comments is sent to the student. On the basis of this document and the results obtained by the student in the school he or she attends locally, the Cultural Advisor may, at his or her discretion, issue a Certificate of Equivalency with the French Schooling System.

 

To enroll or to receive documentation from the CNED: www.cned.fr