After more than a decade of living in France, I have learned to complain from the best. But when it comes to the structure of the French school day, you’ll only hear crickets from me.

Forget about the American latchkey kids of my generation. French parents can drop off their children at 8:30 a.m., still make that 9 o’clock meeting, finish their workday, and pick up the kids at 4:30 p.m. – just in time for a chocolate croissant.

However, when I see how difficult it is to find time for piano or gymnastics practice after the long school day – and fit in homework, dinner, and a bath before bed – I realize the flaws in the system. While the French school day allows parents to more easily work, it does not give much time for children to play.

Why We Wrote This

France is considering adopting

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