Quran Classes for Kids in France: Using Wednesdays, Long School Days and the Vacances Wisely

The short answer: for most families in France, the easiest plan is two or three short Quran classes a week at a fixed time in French time, with one of them on Wednesday, when many primary children have no school or only a morning. On other weekdays, a class soon after the goûter or before dinner usually works better than a late one, because French school days are long. Keep the same slots through the vacances where you can, and lighten the load rather than stopping during exam periods.

This guide is for Muslim parents across France, whether you live in Paris and Île-de-France, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse, Strasbourg or a smaller town where the nearest mosque school is far away or fully booked.

A note on language first

Our teachers teach in English, with Arabic for the recitation itself. That suits children at international or bilingual schools, English-speaking families, and many children who are comfortable in more than one language. If your child speaks only French, tell us before the trial, and the teacher will give you an honest view of whether English instruction will work for them. The free trial classes are the best way to find out.

Why Wednesday is your best friend

In many communes, primary schools work a four-day week with no lessons on Wednesday, and where there is school on Wednesday it is usually only in the morning. Collège and lycée students also often have Wednesday afternoon free, although sport and clubs can fill it.

That makes Wednesday a natural home for one Quran class a week. A child who is rested, fed and not rushing to the next thing reads more calmly and remembers more. Many families put a slightly longer practice session on Wednesday too, such as reading the week's lesson aloud to a parent after class.

• Book it before activities. Wednesday fills up quickly with football, judo, swimming, music and the centre de loisirs. Choosing the Quran slot first stops it from being squeezed out.
• Late morning or early afternoon suits young children. After a relaxed start and before the afternoon activities is often the calmest time.
• Keep Wednesday plus one or two weekdays. A single Wednesday class on its own leaves a long gap. Pairing it with a short weekday class, or a weekend one, keeps lessons fresh.

Suggested class times by age

These are starting points, not rules. The right time is the one your child can keep week after week.

With long school days, a tired child at 7:30pm rarely reads well. If an evening is the only option, keep it early, and let the child have a snack and a short break first. Our guide to the best time for a child's Quran class has more ideas by age.

Working around the vacances scolaires

France has five main holiday periods: Toussaint in the autumn, Noël, the winter holidays, the spring holidays and the long summer break. The winter and spring holidays are staggered by zone, so cousins in another region may be off at a different time from your children.

Online classes do not have to stop when school does. Many families keep the same slots through the shorter holidays, because nothing then has to be restarted afterwards. Over the summer, some children add a class or two and move to a morning slot, which is often the time they are most focused. If you are travelling to visit family abroad, tell the teacher your local time there so classes can follow you. Our guide to Quran classes in the school holidays covers the options in more detail.

The brevet and the bac

Exam years bring real pressure, especially the months before the brevet at the end of troisième and the bac at the end of lycée. Stopping Quran completely for a long time often leads to a lot of forgetting. A middle path usually works better: keep two short classes a week focused on revision during the busiest weeks, then pick the pace back up once exams are over. Many teenagers find half an hour of recitation is a welcome break from study.

Supporting your child at home

You do not need to read Arabic yourself to help. Sitting beside a young child during class, asking them to read their new lesson to you at home, and praising effort all make a big difference. Five to ten minutes of practice on non-class days is plenty. If you are learning alongside your child, our guide on helping your child with Quran if you can't read Arabic has simple ideas. Beginners usually start with Noorani Qaida, which our teachers prefer because it builds the letters and sounds step by step.

Ramadan in France

For the next few years Ramadan falls in winter and early spring, so fasting days in France are shorter than during the summer Ramadans. Iftar comes in the early evening, which can clash with an after-school class. Many families move the class a little earlier for the month, or use Wednesdays and weekends more. Let the teacher know your plan a week or two before Ramadan starts.

How it works at Online Quran Lessons

Classes run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you choose your slots in French time. Every class is live, one-to-one and 30 minutes long, with the same teacher every week. You can choose a male or female teacher at the same fee, sit in on any class, and ask for lessons to be recorded. Classes are supervised for teaching quality.

Plans are paid monthly in euro: 2 classes a week cost €36 a month, 3 classes €45, 4 classes €50 and 5 classes €55. The pricing page always shows the current fees. You can read more about classes for families in France on our online Quran classes in France page.

Getting started

Write out your family's week, book the Wednesday slot first, then add one or two calm weekday or weekend slots and keep them fixed. See how our online Quran classes for kids work, and when you are ready, book 3 free trial classes. No card is needed, and you choose the time in French time from the very first class.