The Off Topic Topic

[CountDeMoney]

I found out today that the catcher on my old little league team was convicted of domestic battery.  I told my best friend about it and he said that was a relief in a way-- he no longer has to feel guilty for plowing him over and knocking him out cold during a play at home.

What an asshole.  Getting caught like that.

[HVC]

What the fuck France?

[CountDeMoney]

Terminale with extreme prejudice.

[mongers]

What the fuck France?

I think it dates back to a time when kindergarten were becoming 'fashionable' in western education, I happened to go early UK example*, though the age range was about 3.5-5 years, so what is now termed pre-school here.   

edit:
I assumed you were talking about that term, though Money is more likely to be, well on the money.

[HVC]

The count down is weird too. And the acronym stage. It's all weird. Only kindergarten makes sense.

[Oexmelin]

It's not called kindergarten. It's called maternelle. And it's for kids between 2 and 6, though only mandatory starting at 6. Acronyms stand for « preparatory course », « elementary course » and « middle course ».

[Josquius]

What the fuck France?

Huh.
I knew America had that weird freshman, sophomore, etc thing that I can never remember  going on, though didn't realise it was a year behind otherwise.
Puts tv shows in a different light that they were year 8s rather than year 7s.

[Monoriu]

When I was a kid, it was -

Kindergarten lower, middle, upper
Primary 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Form 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  Form 6 is divided into lower 6 and upper 6, each comprising one year. 

[Duque de Bragança]

It's not called kindergarten. It's called maternelle. And it's for kids between 2 and 6, though only mandatory starting at 6. Acronyms stand for « preparatory course », « elementary course » and « middle course ».

Most kids attend maternelle, though it's not compulsory as you pointed out.

I still remember CP and the like called by the following names (in French not the following translations).

CP: 11th grade
CE1: 10th grade
CE2: 9th grade
CM1: 8th grade
CM2: 7th grade

PS: some years ago, a PS Assemblée Nationale member said "maternelle" was sexist. 

[Zanza]

My school years were numbered:

Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th ... but then it went on in Latin and also counted downwards: Sexta, Quinta, Quarta, Lower Tertia,  Upper Tertia, Lower Sekunda, Upper Sekunda, Lower Prima, Upper Prima

[Grey Fox]

What the fuck France?

and you don't have kids watching American Disney shows translated in France going "college this, college that" which is the equivalent of Middle school!

[mongers]

When I was a kid, it was -

Kindergarten lower, middle, upper
Primary 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Form 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  Form 6 is divided into lower 6 and upper 6, each comprising one year.

No surprise that ours were rather similar to yours.

Kindergarten
Primary (infants) sch 1st, 2nd yr
Junior sch. 1st, 2nd 3rd yr
Senior sch. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th yr

Post-16 was:
6th form college, Lower 6th Upper 6th.

University, I don't recall any special names for year cohorts, other than being 1st year student, then people being a PhD student, post-doc etc.

[The Brain]

Grundskola:
Första klass ("ettan")
Andra klass ("tvåan")
.
.
.
Nionde klass ("nian")

Gymnasium:
Första ring ("ettan" or "ettan gymnasiet")
Andra ring ("tvåan" or "tvåan gymnasiet")
Tredje ring ("trean" or "trean gymnasiet")

Universitet: No special names beyond "första året" etc

[Valmy]

What the fuck France?

They have all the best words

[Grey Fox]

What the fuck France?

They have all the best words

That's not the issue, the issue is that reused words & gave them a different meaning.