Elementary school grades: SIL, CP, CE1, CE2, CM1, CM2 (6 in total)
High school grades:
6eme/ sixieme. Classes: english, french, history, geography, civil education (education about cameroon and politics and government), mathematics, science
5eme/cinquieme. Same classes as for 6eme
4eme/quatrieme. Same as for 5eme plus physics and chemistry and student's choice of German or Spanish
3eme/troisieme. Same classes as for 4eme
*After a year of classes in 3eme, students take the country-wide exam called the BPC in June/July. If they pass the BPC and had passing grades in all their classes for the year of 3eme, they move on to 2nd. If they don't pass the BPC, they can still move on to 2nd, but have to pass the BPC after a year of classes in 2nd. Passing the BPC is a big deal because if it is not passed after 2nd, a student cannot continue and has to take the year of 2nd all over again.
2nd/second. This is where courses get interesting. At this point in a student's high school career, they choose if they want to focus more on the math and sciences or on languages. A student's choice puts him or her in one of the following two classes/groups:
2nd A: Strong focus on languages; German, Spanish and Arabic. Math and science classes still present but very few.
2nd C: Strong focus on mathematics and science, little or no language classes.
*After 2nd, students take another country-wide examen called the Probatoire. Just like the BPC, if students don't pass the first time around they can try again after 1ere. After 1ere, though, if they still don't pass, they can't move onto Terminale. They have to take the year of 1ere all over again and try in June/July of the following year.
1ere/premier. This grade is split up into three classes or groups again based on a student's choice of study. These groups are:
1ere A: Language focus of French, English, and choice of Spanish or German
1ere C: MATH focus with few language or science classes
1ere D: SCIENCE focus with few language or math classes
Tle/Terminale. This final grade is split up just like 1ere, with the focus on language, math or science.
*After Terminale, the third and final country-wide exam is called the BAC. Again, this is take in June/July after the school year is done. If the BAC is not passed, students take the whole year of Terminale again before giving their shot at the test a second time.
Note: As far as I know, a student can retake classes as many times as needed and take the three tests as many times as desired until the score are passable. The majority of students, though, get fed up with the system of only having one shot to move ahead per year in June/July when they take the test. At our high school here, the numbers of students per class start ridiculously high in 6eme (80+ students) but as the grades increase and more tests have to be passed, the numbers dwindle down. In Terminale this year at the high school, there are just under 20 students. And these 20 Terminale students are ALL male.
So, in total they are 13 grades or years (assuming they are all passed along with the three tests) from elementary school to high school. The majority of students start SIL in elementary school AROUND the age of 5, but for most it is more. There is not a set rule that once a child is 5, he or she goes to school. It is up to the parents when they are ready to send their child and when they think their child's french is well-enough to get by in school. How many grades/years do we have? 12 right? It just appears so different here because, for example, it is not uncommon to find a 1ere or Terminale student who is 23 or 24. If the student started late in elementary school, and had to repeat a few years due to grades in class or test scores, I guess it makes sense
that graduating from high school happens in early to mid-twenties. And after high school....higher education is a whole other story.
Kiddos reading/looking at picutres in Nat Geo at my house
High school grades:
6eme/ sixieme. Classes: english, french, history, geography, civil education (education about cameroon and politics and government), mathematics, science
5eme/cinquieme. Same classes as for 6eme
4eme/quatrieme. Same as for 5eme plus physics and chemistry and student's choice of German or Spanish
This year's 4eme students
3eme/troisieme. Same classes as for 4eme
*After a year of classes in 3eme, students take the country-wide exam called the BPC in June/July. If they pass the BPC and had passing grades in all their classes for the year of 3eme, they move on to 2nd. If they don't pass the BPC, they can still move on to 2nd, but have to pass the BPC after a year of classes in 2nd. Passing the BPC is a big deal because if it is not passed after 2nd, a student cannot continue and has to take the year of 2nd all over again.
2nd/second. This is where courses get interesting. At this point in a student's high school career, they choose if they want to focus more on the math and sciences or on languages. A student's choice puts him or her in one of the following two classes/groups:
2nd A: Strong focus on languages; German, Spanish and Arabic. Math and science classes still present but very few.
2nd C: Strong focus on mathematics and science, little or no language classes.
*After 2nd, students take another country-wide examen called the Probatoire. Just like the BPC, if students don't pass the first time around they can try again after 1ere. After 1ere, though, if they still don't pass, they can't move onto Terminale. They have to take the year of 1ere all over again and try in June/July of the following year.
Last year's 2nd students
1ere/premier. This grade is split up into three classes or groups again based on a student's choice of study. These groups are:
1ere A: Language focus of French, English, and choice of Spanish or German
1ere C: MATH focus with few language or science classes
1ere D: SCIENCE focus with few language or math classes
Tle/Terminale. This final grade is split up just like 1ere, with the focus on language, math or science.
*After Terminale, the third and final country-wide exam is called the BAC. Again, this is take in June/July after the school year is done. If the BAC is not passed, students take the whole year of Terminale again before giving their shot at the test a second time.
Note: As far as I know, a student can retake classes as many times as needed and take the three tests as many times as desired until the score are passable. The majority of students, though, get fed up with the system of only having one shot to move ahead per year in June/July when they take the test. At our high school here, the numbers of students per class start ridiculously high in 6eme (80+ students) but as the grades increase and more tests have to be passed, the numbers dwindle down. In Terminale this year at the high school, there are just under 20 students. And these 20 Terminale students are ALL male.
So, in total they are 13 grades or years (assuming they are all passed along with the three tests) from elementary school to high school. The majority of students start SIL in elementary school AROUND the age of 5, but for most it is more. There is not a set rule that once a child is 5, he or she goes to school. It is up to the parents when they are ready to send their child and when they think their child's french is well-enough to get by in school. How many grades/years do we have? 12 right? It just appears so different here because, for example, it is not uncommon to find a 1ere or Terminale student who is 23 or 24. If the student started late in elementary school, and had to repeat a few years due to grades in class or test scores, I guess it makes sense
that graduating from high school happens in early to mid-twenties. And after high school....higher education is a whole other story.
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