Figure 1.--.

The école publique is the basic state school. It is an elementary school and through the early 20th century it was the only state school that most French boys attemded. Most boys did not go on to secondary school. Before World War II education was mandatory only till 14. In those days l'école primaire provided tuition for the children who intended to leave at 14. The end of these short studies was ended by a diploma : the Certificat d'étude primaire. The teachers, professors and other staff at a école publique are public servants. As the French State they are lay, i.e. non-confessional, teachers. Historically, leaving aside Sunday, a day of the week, earlier it was Thursday, now it is Wednesday, was set aside without classes. This was to allow those whose who wish it to attend a confessional tuition to receive catholic instruction. A chaplaincy was also installed in most of them.

Elementary schools

French elementary boys through the 1950s wore smocks to school, almost always black, dark blue, or grey smocks.  I am not sure what French schoolboys wore before the 1870s, but the school smock as we now know it was part of the educational reforms of the Third Republic. (The Third Republic was the Government that emerged in France after Louis Napoleon's (Napoleon III) defeat by the Prissions in the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. Educators thought that the smock was an ideal school garment. Not only did it protect clothes, but it hid differences in clothing resulting from social class. Thus boys and girls from affluent families could not show off with expensive clothes. (Sound familiar?) I'm not sure how the style was introduced, whether there was a national policy or if local schools had any disgression. Also I am not sure to what extent the Government spelled out the style of the smocks to be worn. It does look like most of the early smocks were black or dark blue and buttoned at the back. Available images confirm that French boys were wearing berets and smocks well before World War I--although I have no 19th Century images. The smock was generally worn with short pants and often a beret. The image of a boy going off to school in a beret, smock, and book satchel on his back is a nostalgic one for many French people. Schools smocks were still commonly worn in the 1940s because many World War II images exists of French boys in smocks. I believe they were also commonly worn in the 1950s. A French contributor to this site tells me that he wore smocks as an elementary schoolboy during the late 1950s and early 60s, but did not wear a betet. Smocks began to disappear in the late 1960s, especilly after the Paris student riots of 1968. Of course it was not the elementary children rioting, but actions of the older children soon filtered down to the younger children.

Secondary schools

Secondary education became free (no charge) in 1930 at state schools. Until after World War II (1939-45) most children did not attend secondary school and it was not mandatiry. Until after the War, attendance at secondary schools was reserved only to the children of well-off parents. Scholarships were, however, available for clever children.

I have less information about what secondary school children wore to school. Boys began secondary school at fairly young ages, about 11. Thus it is possible that some of the younger boys wore smocks in there first year of secondary school. I do not know if secondary schools had any requirement on wearing smocks or other clothing styles. I do not believe that state secondary schools required uniforms.

Individual State Schools

Unidentified elementary school (France, circa 1950)

This unknown elementary school was photographed about 1950. Most of the boys wear smocks. A few wear berets. They all wear short pants and kneesocks.

Lycee Bone (French Algeria, 1946)

The Lycée de Bône was a public or state school. It would be roughly equivalent to an American senior high school. The boys at the school would have probably been about 15 to 17 and a few boys of 18 if they needed more time to complete the program. The Lycée de Bône would have been organized similarly to a Lycée in metropolitan France with the same academic program as well as French teachers. Instruction would have been entirely in the French language.

Created: November 26, 1999
Last updated: November 26, 1999