Normally they have two people in the classroom, a teacher and a teaching assistant.

The point has been made that parental support/involvement at home is the single most important explanatory variable for school performance, but that's not something that the educational system can throw resources at, therefore concentrating on things like expenditure per pupil and teacher to pupil ratios, which are weak explanatory variables.

When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes

• Guaranteed employment. After one year on the job, the only teachers that get fired are the paedophiles. OTOH, if you want to test yourself into an other jobs, it is very easy to take a couple years off, while still getting the job back afterwards.

• Very hands-off management. Until now, teaching remains mostly done by the teacher himself, with little intervention by the hierarchy. Team work is also light.

• Independent time management. The only compulsory hours are in front of the class ; nobody asks you to stay in the school after your lessons, and there are also very long holidays - that are pretty much impossible to obtain in the rest of the job market. It is very good for parents.

• Teaching is quite often the only viable option after university if you were majoring in a field that's not business oriented, and couldn't or wouldn't get into research. French employers don't like to hire liberal arts students, so teaching is easier to get into.