I'm British, and did PPLs in Argentina and UK, and CPL/IR/ME/FI in France.
The standard in French FTOs is very good (for PPL and CPL). There is more depth in theory teaching than in the UK, perhaps a hang-over from the old "pilote de ligne" training, which required a much higher level of maths and engineering knowledge than the current JAR requirements.
The big weakness of French FTOs is that they are very weak in job-placement after training, compared to UK FTOs. UK FTOs recognise that their reputations and long-term futures are linked to placing graduates into jobs, and they work hard to foster relations with airlines and other employers.