Promoting health in French schools

摘要

En Francia, la escuela, obligatoria de los 6 a los 16 años, es gratuita y accesible a todos los niños, lo que incluye los departamentos y los territorios de ultramar. La enseñanza propuesta es nacional, sin ramificaciones ni recorridos diferenciados. La totalidad de alumnos de una clase de edad pasa así un mínimo de diez años en las aulas escolares. Los niños entran en el parvulario a los tres años y, después de obtener el bachillerato se les ofrecen numerosas opciones universitarias. Teniendo en cuenta el número de alumnos y el tiempo que se pasan en las aulas, la escuela es un lugar privilegiado para desarrollar acciones de educación para la salud. Aunque la familia constituye para estos 12 millones de alumnos el marco más importante para su desarrollo, el medio escolar desempeña un papel fundamental en su vida cotidiana.%In France, attending school is obligatory between the ages of 6 and 16; public education is free and accessible to all children living in any French department, including those overseas. Education is a national mandate and responsibility, and the curriculum does not differ between schools as students everywhere in the country follow the same one from their age group without any variation. Every student of a certain age will have been in the school system at least for a minimum of ten years. Children are admitted into pre-school as of age three and after obtaining their baccalaureat (equivalent to A-Levels in England or first year of university study in the US), a diverse range of university level studies and training programmes are available. Given the number of students and the time they spend in the classroom, schools are a favourable setting for health promotion. In spite of the fact that for France's 12 million students the family constitutes the most important pillar in their development, the school setting nonetheless plays an important role in their daily life.