France is no longer simply a country to which many retire, or buy a holiday home.

It is also a country where an increasing number of younger families from abroad now choose to live and work.

It will be of some comfort to these families to report that education has always been a key priority of any French government, whatever their political colour.

By the standards of many European countries, the achievements of the French educational system compare very well.

Over 90% of children leave school with an educational qualification, including 62% at baccalaureate level.

The level of government expenditure on education is one of the highest in the OECD, and the education budget exceeds all other departmental budgets by a large margin.

The system is free, the competence of teachers high, and the general ethos of schools strongly academic.

Nevertheless, the system is not without its critics and its failures. Many consider the system is rather too focused on the acquisition of knowledge at the expense of the development of analytical skills, or the personality of the child.

There is also very little groupwork in the school system, children are expected to take a lot of individual responsibility and teachers do not play a major role in pastoral care.

It is clear that the system is failing many children in the inner cities, and many consider there is a need to make a stronger connection between education and the world of work.

Naturally enough the French language is the highest priority in the primary and lower secondary school curriculum, with more hours devoted to it than any other subject.

Nevertheless, if you are relocating to France, that should suit you should it not?