• MMC

When an employee moves to or returns to France after an experience abroad, their children’s schooling quickly becomes a key concern.
Beyond housing or administrative formalities, it is often the family’s top priority. Finding the right school, understanding a new education system, ensuring the children feel comfortable: these are all questions that determine the success of the relocation.

Yet, this topic is sometimes addressed too late, even though it directly influences family stability and, consequently, professional performance. Studies on international mobility show that nearly a quarter of early returns are linked to family difficulties—including children’s schooling.

School, often seen as a practical detail, is actually a major HR lever: a well-integrated child means a more relaxed parent, a more focused employee, and a mission that can be sustained over time.

School: A Reference Point for Mobile Families

School is the first place of belonging for an expatriate child: it is where they make friends, learn the language, and immerse themselves in the culture of the host country. It becomes a daily anchor in a new environment, a space where the family begins to rebuild a routine and a sense of normalcy.

For parents, seeing their children happy and well-integrated is often a sign that the transition is going smoothly. Conversely, a poorly prepared school start can create stress and destabilize the entire family. This is why companies have every interest in addressing this issue early, in close coordination with mobility services and specialized partners.

What Exists in France: A Rich and Diverse System

France offers a wide range of schooling options, allowing each family to find a balance between local integration and linguistic continuity.

Public School
This is the most common and accessible option. Free and available throughout the country, it provides full immersion in French culture.
Programs are structured, teachers are qualified, and cultural integration occurs naturally through language and activities. For non-French-speaking children, initial language support may be necessary, but it encourages rapid adaptation.

UPE2A Classes
The “Unités pédagogiques pour élèves allophones arrivants” (UPE2A) are part of the public system. They allow newly arrived children to learn French at their own pace while gradually participating in regular classroom life.
These classes provide valuable language support and serve as an effective bridge to integration into the French education system.

International and European Sections
Some public and private schools offer sections where part of the curriculum is taught in another language. Students study subjects like literature, history, or geography in their native language.
These sections are particularly suitable for bilingual children or those already accustomed to an international environment, but they are concentrated in major cities and access can be selective.

Bilingual Schools
These institutions offer teaching equally in two languages, often starting in kindergarten.
They promote cognitive flexibility, cultural tolerance, and an open worldview. Their educational approach, often inspired by international methods, appeals to multicultural or highly mobile families.
However, they are mostly located in large urban areas, and tuition fees can be high.

International Schools
Following foreign curricula (British, American, German, etc.) or the International Baccalaureate (IB), they ensure continuity of learning for children who have started their education abroad.
They provide a stimulating multicultural environment and internationally recognized diplomas, though immersion in French society may be more limited.

The Role of HR: Anticipate, Inform, Support

HR and international mobility departments play a key role in supporting these transitions. By integrating schooling into project preparation, they contribute to the overall success of the assignment.

Providing information on different options, anticipating registration deadlines, guiding families to local contacts: these simple actions have a lasting impact. Some companies go further by incorporating educational support into their mobility policies: identifying schools in main assignment areas, providing language support for children, or even partnering with international schools.

These initiatives reflect a more human approach to mobility, focused on quality of life and sustainability of the project. HR of the future will no longer be limited to administrative transfers. Their role expands: they become guarantors of a comprehensive mobility experience, taking the family into account in all its dimensions.

Mobility Oriented Toward the Future

Children’s schooling illustrates the profound transformation of international mobility. Families now seek a balance between personal fulfilment, intercultural learning, and educational continuity.
Companies that support this evolution build more inclusive policies, capable of meeting the expectations of a mobile, engaged generation aware of family needs.

School thus becomes much more than a logistical service: it reflects the host country’s culture, values, and openness that expatriate children will carry with them. For HR, understanding and anticipating these needs is an investment in collective success.

At Management Mobility Consulting, we support families and companies throughout this essential stage. We help identify the most suitable schooling options, establish initial contacts with schools, and monitor the integration period.

Because supporting children’s academic success also means supporting the employee’s professional success and the long-term quality of mobility.