La rentrée – what does it mean?
‘La rentrée’ literally means the return. It signifies that the long summer holidays have come to an end and that its’ time to return to work, to school, to the office and to normal life and routine.
Yeah, that’s the same for us in the UK, isn’t it? Over here, we have to buy a uniform and PE kit.
So, why is it more expensive in France?
In France, for parents it also means buying all the school equipment: la fourniture escolaire.
This is because, in France, the parents have to provide all the stationery and exercise books etc. Each school provides a list of what pupils will need which should have been standardised by the school board to avoid any unnecessary expenses. Thankfully, there is some financial help available
What sort of things do you have to buy?
Here is a typical list which I have included as I thought the vocabulary may be helpful if you have children studying French at school
