International sections, in elementary, junior high and/or high school, are a bilingual and bicultural program of excellence that is particularly popular in the French school network abroad, as it enables students to acquire a high level of language skills. Offering integrated language and culture teaching, and based on bilateral agreements, international sections are opened with the authorization of the French Ministry of Education, issued after validation of the project, which must meet a number of criteria (teacher qualifications, cultural partnerships, timetable distribution, etc…)

“The aim of the training provided in international sections and in classes leading to the French International Baccalaureate is to facilitate the integration of foreign students into the French education system, and to train French students in the in-depth practice of a foreign language, in particular through the use of this language in certain subjects.” Article D. 421-132 of the French Education Code.
In international sections, there are specific courses:

-Teaching in the language of the section in elementary school ;
-Complementary teaching of the language and literature of the section (collège and lycée);
-Non-linguistic subject(s) taught partly in French and partly in the language of the section (history-geography in collège and lycée; scientific and mathematical subjects).
In 2023, there will be 304 international sections in 140 French schools abroad and 59 countries.
The specific teaching provided in international sections prepares students for the international option of the diplôme national du brevet (DNBI) and the international option of the baccalauréat (OIB), which will evolve from the start of the 2022 school year to become the International French baccalauréat (BFI).

In practice, from September 2024 at the Lycée Français de Lusaka:

All elementary school pupils will be part of the British international section.  The emphasis will be on the English language and elements of British culture. During their course, volunteer pupils will have the opportunity to take the Cambridge tests.

Nursery school :

TPS PS class have 30 minutes of English every day.

MS GS class have 45 minutes of English every day.

Elementary school :

CP CE1 CE2 CM1 and CM2 classes have 6 hours of English per week, as follows

In addition to the 6 hours of English language lessons, out of a total of 25 per week, we also offer 5 hours of French language reinforcement for English-speaking pupils. Our aim is to have fully multilingual students who can switch between French, English and their own mother tongue without even thinking about it.

In a second phase, our aim is to open an international section at middle school to ensure pedagogical continuity and then at high school to take the BFI, International French baccalaureate