What can we Expect from the Reform of School Zoning in France? Lessons from School Choice Policies

This article discusses several aspects of an ongoing French educational reform aimed at introducing open enrollment in public secondary education. In light of the most recent theoretical and empirical evidence on this topic, we attempt to clarify some of the confusion that surrounds the heated debated on school choice by showing that its impact depends crucially on a number of key institutional features. After briefly describing the rules that govern the allocation of students to public and private schools in France, we provide an overview of the multiplicity of school choice policies around the world. We then discuss the potential costs and benefits of such policies and insist on the importance of several institutional parameters in determining their success or failure in terms of efficiency and equity. Based on the lessons that can be drawn from existing empirical evaluations of school choice reforms, we conclude with a number of suggestions regarding the future of school choice in France.