At central level, the French education system is regulated by the Department for National Education, Higher Education and Research . The State plays a major role in governance, as, by long tradition, the French education system is centralised. The State provides educational guidelines and programmes, and is responsible for recruitment, training and management of heads and teachers in state schools and in private schools under contract with the State, as well as of school inspectors. Such professional players as recteurs d'académie, Académie Directors (directeurs académiques) and school heads ensure implementation of national education policy at local level (in regions, départements and municipalities).

Still at local level, and since the start of a process of decentralisation of competences in the administration of the educational system in the 1980s, local authorities have been playing an increasingly significant part in governance, ensuring the material operation of the system (construction and maintenance of school buildings, school transport, supply of educational materials, etc.). With regard to schools, collèges and lycées (CITE 2 and CITE 3) have room for manoeuvre in how they manage budgets granted by the State, as well as in the definition of what educational strategies to adopt in order to achieve national objectives.

At higher education level, governance of the system is ensured by a contractual policy set up by the State with universities, which are autonomous bodies financially and administratively speaking.

                                                     Department for National Education, Higher Eudcation and Research (2014)