The Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) is a public agency that, under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, coordinates the network of French educational institutions abroad, known as “French high schools.”
It is a school network unlike any other in the world, coordinating a dynamic network of accredited international schools that offer a high-quality education grounded in humanistic values. Being part of this vast global network allows children to continue their education seamlessly—from preschool through 12th grade—from one school to another and from one country to another.
French schools abroad offer a high-quality education that meets the standards of the French Ministry of National Education and is grounded in humanist values: tolerance, freedom of thought, equal opportunity, intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and equality between boys and girls, among others.
Currently, the AEFE oversees and supports a network of 612 accredited schools in 138 countries. This network serves more than 400,000 students, 70% of whom are international students, and guarantees them access to educational and pedagogical excellence around the world.
The AEFE manages the human and financial resources provided by the French government for the operation of French educational institutions abroad and implements an innovative educational policy that balances adherence to the school curricula in effect in France with an openness to the language and culture of the host country.
The AEFE proposes projects and events that foster unity among the schools in its network and awards grants for operational support, investment, equipment, and educational purposes to the schools in the network. In addition, it offers French families educational assistance in the form of scholarships and awards scholarships of excellence to the most outstanding foreign students who wish to pursue higher education in France.