French School of Thessaloniki

French School of Thessaloniki
École Française de Thessalonique
Γαλλικό Σχολείο Θεσσαλονίκης
French School of Thessaloniki; École Française de Thessalonique; Γαλλικό Σχολείο Θεσσαλονίκης
Location
	Leoforos Stratou 2A; 54640 Thessaloniki; Greece
Coordinates	40°37′16″N 22°57′25″E / 40.621161°N 22.957009°E
Information
Type	French International school
Motto	Two cultures, three languages
Established	1906
Principal	Caroline Geoffray
Grades	From Preschool to 12th Grade; Teaching includes some distance learning (from 6th to 12th Grades)
Enrollment	125 (2017-2018)
Language	French, Modern Greek, English
Affiliation	Mission laïque française; (since 1906)
Information	Mlf School
Exam Preparation	French national diploma, Baccalauréat
Languages taught	French, Modern Greek, English, German, Italian, Spanish, Latin, Ancient Greek
Language Certifications	French (DELF, DALF)
Website	efth.gr

The French School of Thessaloniki (FST, French: École Française de Thessalonique EFTH, Greek: Γαλλικό Σχολείο Θεσσαλονίκης) is a French international school in Thessaloniki, Greece. It was established in 1906 and has integrated the Mission laïque française (Mlf) in 1906.^[3] It serves levels maternelle (preschool) through terminale, the final year of lycée (senior high school). It serves levels maternelle (preschool) through troisième, the final year of collège (junior high school). and it allows French, English and Modern Greek languages learning from preschool for all children.^[4] As of 2017 the school has about 125 students range from 2 to 18 years.^[1]

History

It was established after the secretary general of the Mission laïque française (MLF), Maurice Kuhn, investigated how to establish a French educational programme in Thessaloniki.^[5] The school opened in 1906.^[6] At the time it was in Salonika Vilayet, Ottoman Empire.

Student enrollment was affected by the Balkan Wars, World War I, and a 1930 Greek law that prohibited Greek children under 12 from being enrolled in international schools. A fire had affected the school grounds in 1917. Enrollment was rising by the late 1930s but the school was dissolved after 1939, as World War II occurred. German soldiers occupying Athens destroyed the FST building as they withdrew. It was partially rebuilt in 1946 since the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave a subsidy, and the school had 500 students by the 1950s. Greek authorities recognized the primary school section in the 1960s, and the school building received an expansion in 1961, with annexes opening in Serres and Sidirokastro. A fire destroyed the main building in 1969; its cause was accidental. From 1970 to 1971 rebuilding activity took place. The Greek government recognized the secondary levels of FST in August 2013.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Deberre, Jean-Christophe (publication manager); Bur, Michel (editorial manager); Buclon-, Aude (coordination); Oukkal, Alexis (graphic design) (2017). Directory of schools - Mission laïque française OSUI 2017-2018 (pdf). Mission laïque française. p. 115. ISSN 2260-8605.
^ The Mission laïque française (Mlf) is the administrator of the school, fully run by it in terms of administration, teaching and finances.
^ ^a ^b Thévenin, André (2002). La Mission laïque française à travers son histoire : 1902-2002 (pdf) (in French). Mission laïque française. pp. 81–86.
^ Lemaître, Aurélie (14 April 2018). "Mission laïque française : La laïcité comme pédagogie". Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 12 May 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Historique Archived 2016-06-02 at the Wayback Machine." French School of Thessaloniki. Retrieved on June 2, 2016.
^ "French School of Thessaloniki." French School of Thessaloniki. Retrieved on June 2, 2016.