School in Monaco

The State guarantees the organization, curriculum, certificates, staffing, regulation and evaluation of education in Monaco. The Direction de l'Éducation Nationale, de la Jeunesse et des Sports (DENJS) administers public primary, secondary and technical education, supervises private schools and coordinates educational placement. A private school must receive ministerial authorization to open. The public network includes seven schools combining école maternelle and école élémentaire, one collège, one lycée général et technologique and one lycée technologique et professionnel. Contracted private education includes one primary school and Institution François d’Assise-Nicolas Barré (FANB), which covers primary, collège and lycée. Independent private options include International School of Monaco and British School of Monaco; both offer bilingual English and French education. Public primary admission follows the geographic sector, while private-school choice is generally broader. Children usually enter école maternelle at age 3. Maternelle is not compulsory, but a Monégasque child or child of a Monégasque has a right to admission, while a resident child is admitted when places are available. Compulsory instruction applies from age 6 through the end of the year in which the child turns 16 for Monegasque children and for foreign children whose parent or legal guardian is resident or regularly established in Monaco. The family must complete annual enrollment procedures. Schooling abroad or home instruction can be used after an annual declaration to DENJS and a pedagogical inspection at least once a year. If home instruction is inadequate, DENJS can order enrollment within 15 days. The school cycles use French terms. Cycle 1 covers Petite Section, Moyenne Section and Grande Section. Cycle 2 covers CP, CE1 and CE2. Cycle 3 covers CM1, CM2 and 6e. Cycle 4 covers 5e, 4e and 3e. Primary education normally totals 27 hours per week. Collège covers 6e through 3e and usually ages 11 to 14. Lycée covers 2de, 1re and terminale and usually ages 15 to 17. The Diplôme national du brevet (DNB) is awarded after 3e. General and technological pathways lead to the baccalauréat; professional pathways can lead to CAP, BEP or baccalauréat professionnel and mark the transition toward vocational education. The curriculum includes French and an objective of learning two additional languages. Foreign-language initiation is compulsory from école maternelle. It also includes the Monégasque language, Monaco's history, its political, administrative, economic and social organization, information and communication technology, moral and civic education, and hygiene and health education. Public and contracted private schools provide Catholic religious instruction, with parental dispensation available. Enhanced English, international or European options and French-language support depend on the institution. Admission priority for the 2025–26 school year placed Monégasque children and children of Monégasque first, followed by geographic-sector priority and then remaining places. Public primary admission is sector-based. Admission to secondary school is generally available to Monégasque children and residents, while non-resident applicants need a dispensation. For 2025–26, public enrollment ran from 6 January to 21 March 2025 and contracted-private enrollment from 13 January to 28 March 2025. The 2026–27 school year runs from 7 September 2026 to 2 July 2027. A child with a disability or health condition that affects schooling has a right to registration and to suitable adaptations and qualified support. The Commission médico-pédagogique reviews needs and competence development regularly and hears the child and parents. Support may remain in ordinary classes or involve adapted education, ULIS inclusion units, SEGPA sections for severe school difficulty, a health or specialized setting, or home instruction when required. An AVS can provide human support after the Commission has issued a notification. A PAI can record arrangements for health-related needs. Annual medical and dental inspections are mandatory. Attendance is required during compulsory instruction, and absences must be reported. Repeated unjustified absence, including more than four half-days in a month, can be escalated to DENJS and prosecution. School rules cover safety, hygiene, discipline and sanctions. A pupil can be heard, access the relevant file and receive assistance before a disciplinary council. An appeal to DENJS must be filed within three working days, and the decision is due within 21 days. Collège and lycée pupils can elect delegates, and an orientation council supports pathway decisions. Public tuition is free. Contracted private schools charge tuition under their State contract, while independent private schools set their own fees. Cantine, garderie and holiday-care arrangements follow separate DENJS or institution procedures. The Centre de Loisirs Prince Albert II is a separate service for children aged 3 to 12 during holidays and on Wednesdays; it generally requires a working-parent condition and does not replace school attendance.