Educational policy in France emphasizes international and global relationships as well as relevance of education to students' and society's needs. Educational priorities include increasing school attendance of two to four-year-olds, limiting class size to 35, and equalizing enrollments between urban and rural areas. There are three levels in the public education system: primary, intermediate, and secondary (lycee). The objective of primary education is to develop basic social and academic skills in students from six to 11 years old. Technological or pre-professional instruction is introduced on the four-year compulsory intermediate level. Graduates of a selective three-year lycee program may receive degrees of college preparatory baccalaureat, diploma of professional studies, or technician's diploma. Recently, universities and other institutions of higher education have endeavored to train students in public service responsibilities as well as academic knowledge and have instituted a degree in general university studies to meet this need. Educational research has focused on teacher training, interdisciplinarity of the sciences, and the nature of the school as a microcosm. Standardization of primary school curriculum and resultant textbook changes are ongoing programs of development. Future plans include increasing the role of preprimary schools and individualizing instruction on all levels. (AV)