EFE Awards 2025
Three Odyssey Education schools in the spotlight
An unprecedented ceremony in Paris
On 10 April 2025, the first "Palmes de l'enseignement français à l'étranger (EFE)" ceremony was held. This unique event, placed under the patronage of the President of the French Republic, aims to recognise the commitment, creativity and excellence of French schools around the world. Over 291 entries were received from 79 countries, representing 181 participating schools. The awards ceremony, held in the prestigious Grand Amphithéâtre at Sorbonne University, was attended by over 900 people, both online and in person.
The network in action
The French education network abroad is a unique asset in the French education system. At the start of the 2023 school year, it included 580 establishments in 139 countries, catering for 391,000 pupils, one third of whom were French nationals and two thirds from other cultural backgrounds.
This worldwide network plays a fundamental role in promoting France and its values, supported on a daily basis by committed, innovative teams who are deeply invested in their educational mission.
The first edition of the Palmes de l’EFE was an opportunity to highlight these inspiring initiatives. 291 projects were submitted, including those from 5 schools in the Odyssey Education Group, which enthusiastically took part in this unifying event.
Three Odyssey Education projects win awards
The projects put forward by students and teachers were praised for their impact and originality. Congratulations to our schools who were honoured in this first edition:
La Petite Ecole de Ho Chi Minh City
winner of the Palme de l'Action Culturelle, sponsored by Librairie LDE, for its project ‘Éveil Culturel: L'Art en Francophonie à La Petite École’. The project takes an immersive, artistic approach to raising young children's awareness of the cultural wealth of the French-speaking world.
La Petite Ecole de Singapour
finalist for the Palme de la Promotion Linguistique et de l'Ouverture, sponsored by Vatel France, thanks to its trilingual co-teaching programme (French, English, Mandarin) in nursery schools. An innovative approach to promoting multilingualism and interculturality.
L’École Française Internationale de Skopje
finalist in the Palme de la Lutte contre les Discriminations, sponsored by MAIF, for its initiative ‘Les Passerelles Culturelles en Macédoine du Nord’, which promotes tolerance and intercultural dialogue from an early age.
Promoting commitment to education
These awards testify to the commitment and creativity of the educational teams within the Odyssey Education Group, and more broadly to the wealth of projects undertaken throughout the EFE network.
An event organised by ReflexeS
Many thanks to ReflexeS – Enseignement français à l’étranger, Senator Samantha Cazebonne and her team for making this celebration possible and for their ongoing commitment to the network.
The Palmes de l’EFE are a key annual event, designed to recognise, promote and inspire all those involved in French education abroad.