The official starting age is three, but in France many children start school at two years of age. "Education is free in France, but creche's are expensive, so working parents try to get them into school as soon as possible," explains Catherine Donohue-Weill, principal of Ecole Franco-Irlandaise - the French Irish School, Foxrock, Dublin. French children have a very long school day. "They start at 8.30 a.m. and go on till 4.30 p.m., but they do have a long lunch break - often up to two hours." The State also provides after-school care - garderie. Special teams of carers come in to schools for the evening. The five-hour day that Irish schools enjoy is preferable, she says, although it can cause problems for parents.

When they start school, French children enter what is known as ecole maternelle. "They learn to socialise, to take turns and share and they extend their vocabulary. This socialisation is important - it gives them a sense of routine and order. Some children don't get that at home."

By the time they're four years of age, French children are ready for more formal activities. "They don't learn the alphabet off by heart. We teach them pre-reading and writing skills. They learn to recognise letters. We make them aware of why they are doing things."

In Ireland, Donohue-Weill notes, there is much more rote learning. "Both cases are efficient," she says. "The philosophies are different but we can use both. I think more reflection in the Irish system and more systematic exercises in the French system would be a good European mix."

In France, grammar is much more important than it is here in Ireland. "They start it at seven and should be able to describe an adjective, a noun and a verb. It's useful - they can transfer this knowledge from one language to another."

French youngsters go into second level at 11. They immediately take up two foreign languages and add on a third when they're 13. English, says Donohue-Weill, is the most popular language, followed by Spanish.

A major difference between the two education systems has been that, in France, it is competence rather than age that determines whether you move on to the next class. However, some changes are afoot. Three cycles have been introduced into both the primary and secondary systems. Students are assessed each term by their teachers.

If, at the end of a cycle, a pupil is deemed unable to succeed at the next level, she or he will be kept back for a year. Often though, weaker students will be moved forward - but will receive extra tuition. Teachers have a better life in Ireland, Donohue-Weill believes. "There is less pressure here. There's a great sense of solidarity among teachers and they seem to have the support of most of the parents. In France, it's more difficult to talk to parents - they don't have the time."