Comprehensive schools are responsible for compulsory education for students from the ages of 6-16 in France. There is a trend to devolve administrative duties from the Central Ministry of Education to the "academies" or regional bodies and to delegate powers to the schools. The responsibilities of the headteacher include making detailed decisions and expenditure strategies as well as teacher employment. These duties are carried out in consultation with the school council. Teachers who wish to become headteachers apply to be included on a promotion list and are interviewed and recommended by the inspecteur d'academies, who submits recommendations to the national commission. The recommendations are usually accepted. Training is compulsory for headteachers. The responsibility for training headteachers rests with each of the 25 education regions of France and is conducted by teams that include experienced headmasters. In a system of pyramid training, members from each regional team are trained, and they in turn train new headteachers. Thus, training is given by people who are actively working and in contact with everyday problems. Teams give the most time to the main aspects of the headteacher's job: administration and management; teaching and relationships; and participation in community interests. Methods used are wide-ranging: formal talks; use of video tapes; case studies; practical work experiences; and a variety of group work activities. Appended is a Ministry of Education description of a program to help headteachers and deputies during their first year of service. (JD)