C’est la rentrée! The first day back to school in France is an important day for a lot of people. Culturally, it is a huge part of the French year. It’s not just teachers and students though who have to prepare for “la rentrée”. Many other people are affected too. Preparations start in July at the end of the old school year, quieten down for the summer holidays and then pick up again. The peak though is the last week of August and the first week of September. This is when back to school preparations reach fever point. I’ve noticed this in other countries too but never as much as here in France.
Back to school in France involves lots of lists
Every year, before the start of the summer holidays, French children are sent home with a very long list of everything they will need to buy for the new school year. Although this doesn’t usually include text books, at least in the primary school and college (junior high equivalent), they do need to buy all their stationery and school supplies. Teachers specify exactly which size of exercise book they need. They even tell you whether it should have lines or squares. Sometimes schools recommend particular brands so that all the kids will have the same product but this isn’t always the case.
If you are an organized parent, you do all your shopping before leaving for your summer holidays. When you get to the last week of August, you can relax. If you are me, on the other hand, or the many other parents I saw this weekend, you are at the supermarket on the last Saturday of the holidays frantically trying to find 10 24x32cm sized exercise books with large squares. I also spend a lot of time trying to translate the supplies lists and trying to work out exactly what each item is so I don’t buy the wrong things. Exercise books, book covers, pens, scissors, glue, the list goes on and on.
Back to school in France is big business
This is one of the most important times of year for French businesses. All the big supermarkets in France as well as the smaller more specialized shops have enormous promotions for the back to school period. If you have the time and the patience to shop around, you can find some really good deals on school stationery. Even at the last minute though, all the shops are competing against one another so you can find pretty good offers for your list. It’s not just stationery though.
Many parents choose this time of year to buy their kids their clothes for the autumn and winter and completely redo their wardrobes. It’s time for a new start and clothes shops, hairdressers and many other businesses are very busy. The most seemingly unrelated shops have special window displays and promotions for la rentrée, starting at the end of August and lasting for the first few weeks of September. Even the chocolate shops have special collections for back to school!
La rentrée is the start of the new cultural year
With back to school in France also comes the start of the cultural season. Theatres, cinemas and any recreational activities all start their year at the beginning of September. So it’s not only time to find and enroll in any new activities that your kids want to do this year but also for adults. This means that everyone is affected by la rentrée, even if they don’t have children. It’s time to work out if you want to start an exercise program or want to book tickets for a play. And you need to do it pretty fast, as the most popular activities fill up quickly and you could find yourself without a place. September really feels like the beginning of the new year, a fresh start for everybody.
Back to school in France is also an important time for politics
At the beginning of September, the French politicians start back at work after their long summer holidays, just like everybody else. Immediately it seems, every year, the political talk turns to families, budgets and the cost of la rentrée. This takes over the headlines for a few weeks and everybody seems to be thinking and talking about la rentrée. After that, things calm down, everybody gets into their usual routine and back to normal French politics. The politicians definitely reflect the mood of the rest of the country though, an increase in pace after the quiet couple of months of the French summer holidays.
I remember seeing adverts and signs for la rentrée when we used to come on holiday to France, so it is definitely not a new phenomenon. Back to school in France is a huge part of French culture. It’s a fresh start for everyone, a picking up of business after a long and relaxing summer and the chance to do new things. There is an energy in the air which is refreshing and optimistic and even though, as a teacher, I don’t always look forward to going back to school, the fresh feeling is infectious.
Is it the same where you live? And if you are a teacher and feeling anxious about going back to school, please read my ideas and advice to help here. To stay up to date with new posts and teaching ideas, you can follow the GoogooEnglish Facebook page. Alternatively, sign up for email updates below. Bonne rentrée everyone! Here’s to a great new start for us all!