Frequently Asked Questions
- What is ASEICA?
- How long has it existed?
- What are Aseica’s educational activities?
- What curriculum is followed by ASEICA?
- What do my tuition fees cover?
- How are school fees set?
- Why is the English section more expensive than the other international sections?
- What is the nature of ASEICA’s relationship with Education Nationale?
- Does ASEICA “ co-direct” the international classes?
- Who controls the selection process for entry into primary? Into 6ème?
- Is it possible to enter the section at other levels than primary and sixième?
- Who do I ask about Education Nationale issues?
- Who is responsible for school discipline?
- How is the ASEICA Board elected?
- How can I help?
- Who decides the delegates to the Conseil de classe / Conseil d’ecole /Conseil de section/ Conseil d’administration? What are these for?
- Would it be possible for us to let child start in your international program and provide a private support teacher for them in the beginning?
- How do you handle the foreign student's start in the program when they do not speak French?
ASEICA (Association pour le Soutien de l’Enseignement International sur la Côte d’Azur) is an association whose purpose is to promote and deliver a complementary English speaking education within the framework of the French State Education System and the preparation of French state examinations (OIB, Option Internationale du Baccalauréat).
It is a non-profit making organisation under French law (association loi 1901).
ASEICA employs a Head of Education, Financial and Administrative Manager, 35 teachers and 3 administrative staff. It has received its formal accreditation (agrément) from the Rectorat in Nice. See How we work.
2 How long has ASEICA existed?
Since 1978. In 1983, the French Ministry of Education took over the management of the International Baccalaureate (IB) which had been managed at the CIV by the French Mission Laic for the preceding 6 years. An International Anglophone Section (OIB) was opened within the CIV. At the request of the school, ASEICA was established in order to take responsibility for employing the foreign teachers who were until then managed by the French Laic Mission. See History.
3 What are ASEICA’s educational activities?
ASEICA provides qualified Anglophone teachers to Education Nationale in a variety of classes:
- Bilingual Primary Classes at the Primary schools of Trois Collines (Mougins) and Sartoux (Valbonne).
- Anglophone Section secondary Classes at the CIV, and, since 2004, at the Colleges of Niki de Saint Phalle (Valbonne-Sophia Antipolis) and Eganaude (Biot-Sophia Antipolis) and since 2011 Cesar
In primary, ASEICA’s teachers provide 50% of the curriculum in English, and in collège and lycée they supplement the standard French curriculum with education in English (expression and literature), History and Geography in English, as well as optional education in Theatre. ASEICA also runs a highly successful Mini United Nations debating society.
4 What curriculum is followed by ASEICA?
ASEICA works within Education Nationale, and as such all curricula, at all levels, follow very closely the programme of Education Nationale. The cultural approach and teaching methods however reflect the roots of the teaching staff.
5 What do my tuition fees cover?
Tuition fees cover the salaries of ASEICA teachers, those of a small administration team, office space, teaching materials, resources. As an example, during fiscal year 2004 -5, teacher's salaries and social costs absorbed 85% of the fees, with the balance composed of sundry items including materials, rental costs and professional fees. Full details of the association’s budget and balance sheet are presented each year at the AGM.
Preparing the association’s budget including setting fees is one of the main responsibilities of the Board. The budgets of the three levels, Primary, Collège and Lycée are set separately as each individual programme is required to be self-funding. Administration costs are prorated as appropriate and this is combined with the number of teaching hours directly relevant to each stage. In primary classes, where 50% of tuition is delivered by ASEICA teachers, fees are therefore higher than in college where at most 35% of teaching is provided by ASEICA. See Fees & registration for details of this year's fees.
7 Why is the English section more expensive than the other international sections?
Bi-lateral agreements exist between France and certain countries whereby the signatory states assign, out of their own budgets, a small number of qualified teachers abroad. During their expatriation, the teachers are thus paid by their home countries, and made available to the educational authority of the host country.
There are currently no such agreements between France and any of the Anglophone countries. As a result, the teachers allocated to the Anglophone section are a combination of Education Nationale teachers and qualified and experienced English mother tongue teachers employed directly by ASEICA. The latter are paid directly out of the fees paid by parents.
8 What is the nature of ASEICA’s relationship with Education Nationale?
The nature of this relationship is described in the Decree (no81-594) of 11 May 1981 Decree (No81-594), the official legal framework which describes the objectives and the functioning of international sections within primary schools, collèges and lycées.
Its Article 7 clearly states that the teachers are “made available” to the Head teachers of the State schools (mise à disposition).
Each teacher’s allocation to a particular school is approved by that school’s Head teacher. The development of good relations with Education Nationale is a key element of ASEICA’s policy.
9 Does ASEICA “ co-direct” the international classes?
The OIB classes in the collèges and lycée, as well as the bilingual classes in the Primary, are under the overall administration of Education Nationale. ASEICA’s role is to provide qualified Anglophone teachers to the head teachers of the schools where an Anglophone section is run.
Through the maintenance of good relationships with all levels of Education Nationale, ASEICA seeks to ensure that good educational standards are met, in full accordance with the spirit of international sections, satisfying the requirements of its policy and the needs of its members.
10 Who controls the selection process for entry into primary? Into 6ème?
The entry process falls under the remit of the Heads of schools and the Inspection Académique on behalf of Education Nationale. Article 3 of the May 11, 1981 decree clearly stipulates that admission to an international section is approved by the Academic Inspector on the recommendation of the school's Principal or Head teacher, who decides whether the child has the ability to follow this type of education.
11 Is it possible to enter the section at other levels than primary and sixième?
It is possible to enter at Lycée level (in Seconde). New places can occasionally become available at other levels. Contact must be made with the relevant Head teacher or Principal.
12 Who do I ask about Education Nationale issues?
Within Colleges and Lycées:
- The relevant French Education Nationale teacher or “Professeur Principal” for educational, class related issues.
- The “Conseiller Principal d’Education” for information on school calendar, time-tables, examinations, child absences, etc.
- The “Proviseurs Adjoints” and “Proviseur” for administration issues, boarding related issues or discipline issues (upon appointment).
The telephone numbers and e-mail addresses are noted in the child’s school correspondence journal "Carnet de liaison” and can also be found on this Web site.
Within Primary Schools:
- The French teacher for educational issues.
- The school's Head teacher or Principal for issues related to discipline, calendar, school administration, etc.
For other issues:
The Inspection Académique for information and decisions relating to the catchment areas of the various schools, about the 6eme and Primary entry tests (dates, content, results)
Detailed information is available on the Académie of Nice Web site: http://www.ac-nice.fr/
13 Who is responsible for school discipline?
The Education Nationale Head teacher (Directeur, Directrice, Principal or Proviseur).
14 How is the ASEICA Board elected?
The Board is elected every year during the AGM. All members of the association are free to form a list of 11 volunteers which should be submitted to the membership for consideration.
In recent years the incumbent Board has stood unopposed for re-election, though each year there is a certain turnover among its members.
The Board comprises 11 members who, during the first Board meeting following their election, vote to choose their President, Secretary and Treasurer. The President is the legal representative of the Association.
Any help you can offer would be most welcome! The Board actively seeks to recruit at several times during the year, but any member is welcome to make contact at any time to propose their involvement.
Attend one of our information sessions (see newsletter) or contact the Board: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and join one of the board committees.
16 Who decides the delegates to the Conseil de classe / Conseil d’ecole /Conseil de section/ Conseil d’administration? What are these for?
ASEICA should not be confused with the various Parents’ Representatives Associations which serve a quite different purpose in the life of French schools:
- ASEICA employs the teaching staff for the Anglophone classes within the Education Nationale international sections. The parents of children registered in the Anglophone section automatically constitute ASEICA’s membership. The executive body of ASEICA is its Board, elected by its members' votes at the Annual General Meeting.
- The Parents’ Representatives Associations represent the parents of the students in all 5 schools, for the international sections and French sections alike, taking part in the above mentioned conseils, which are an integral part of the administration of schools
There are three Parents Associations (Associations de Parents d’Elèves) represented in the area, namely FCPE, PEEP and API. During annual organisations organised by the French administration, members of these associations are elected to represent the parent body on the following:
- The Conseil d’Ecole which administers the Primary schools.
- (The international sections also has its own conseil de section dealing with issues specific to the international classes).
- The “Conseil d’Administration” which administers each secondary school.
Members (not necessarily elected members) of these associations can also volunteer to become a Class Delegate at the “Conseil de Classe” of their choice.
Membership of one of these associations is open to any parent of a child in a French school and information about each will be distributed to parents at the start of each academic year prior to the elections.
17. Would it be possible for us to let child start in your international program and provide a private support teacher for them in the beginning?
For educational and class related issues, please contact the concerned teacher or the "Professeur Principal".
18. How do you handle the foreign student's start in the program when they do not speak French?
Some schools, like the CIV or the LIV, offer additional French language courses for foreigners (Français Langue Etrangere). Parents need to contact the Professeur Principal for their child to benefit from these courses when available.