Primary and secondary schools in Jersey, La Manche, and Ille et Vilaine enjoy numerous, regular, and sustainable links. Daytrips to the Island offer a great opportunity for pupils to explore life on the Island. For example, the secondary school of Coutances (specialized on environmental issues) and Durrell Zoo in Jersey have a partnership that is focused on the observation of wild animals. Similar arrangements in the areas of history, environment, or heritage could be envisaged for the future.
Since Brexit and the requirement for presenting a passport on arrival on the island, Jersey enabled the use of ID cards by EU young visitors belonging to accompanied school groups under 18 to pursue these educational visits.
For higher education, the Jersey Institute of Law created a double degree in law with the University of Toulouse in 2017. Jersey and French students can study in Jersey for the first two years of their degree, and study in Toulouse for their third. Each year, the institute welcomes forty French students in the island.
In 2018, the University of Caen in Normandy and the Education department in Jersey signed a co-operation agreement. The agreement, the first of its kind with a French university, offers Jersey students the opportunity to access to more affordable higher education opportunities, as well as providing an opportunity to become proficient in a second language. Feedback from Jersey students who have studied in Caen has been overwhelmingly positive.
Other educational programmes
The partnership between the Government of Jersey and the Ille-et-Vilaine Departmental Council has facilitated cooperation on youth mobility.
The association Jeunes à Travers le Monde (JTM), has been regularly working with Jersey’s Youth Service and offered, alongside Saint-Malo Youth Centre (Info Jeunes St Malo), regular daytrips and short breaks to Jersey to French youngsters from Ille-et-Vilaine.
Programs like “Jersey Day” or “Jersey Day Pro”, aimed at youngsters with learning and social difficulties, have been developed since 2015. The objective is to build self-confidence and language skills through mobility. Future programs, aimed at supporting younger generations with learning difficulties, are also being explored with Ille-et-Vilaine.
English language courses at St Brelade’s College are popular amongst French students for immersive exchanges, offering classes for schoolchildren as well as adults, along with a variety of summer activities around the island.
Other opportunities are being considered in terms of bringing Jersey artists in secondary schools of Ille et Vilaine through an existing programme of democratizing arts at school.
Info Jeunes St Malo also regularly invite Jersey youngsters to take part in Saint-Malo “Rock Academy”. Created by Jersey Youth Arts Centre, “Rock Academy” is a week-long musical programme which simultaneously gathers musical language and autonomy skills. In Jersey, it gathers Jersey youngsters but also invite Brittany youngsters to attend.