Can you guarantee that there will be a teacher in front of every class from day one?
“This is very clearly the objective, all the teams are working on it. We can never guarantee zero exceptions. However, the latest information that I have tells me that we are on the way to achieving this objective. »
This return to school is still marked by numerous class closures, particularly in rural areas. Have you measured the risks for territories already threatened by desertification?
“Each year, in March, elected officials discover that a class will close or open the following September. In a context of demographic decline, this is unbearable. This is why I want to act instead of suffering: we need a school land use planning policy. In April, we launched an experiment in 18 pilot departments to change the way the school map is decided. My goal is for the mayors of these departments to have visibility five years from the school map. Furthermore, by November 1, I will create a territorial policy department for the School, which will be responsible for piloting this territorial planning policy. My goal: by the beginning of January 2027, we will have the same method for all departments of France. »
“The use of cell phones will be prohibited in high schools”
Despite the censorship by the Constitutional Council concerning certain articles of the law on the ban on social networks before the age of 15, that on the ban on mobile phones in high schools will be effective for the start of the school year. How will this happen?
“The President of the Republic has taken the decision to promulgate the law which will be published this Tuesday. As was already the case at school and college, the use of cell phones will be prohibited in high schools. Students will be able to have it with them, but the devices must be turned off and stored in bags or lockers. If the rule is transgressed, there will be confiscations. But thanks to exemptions, establishments will be able to adapt this rule to their internal regulations if, for example, the cell phone is used to pay for meals in the canteen, or for educational purposes. »
Need groups in college: “I don’t want to impose the same educational organization everywhere”
Need groups at college will no longer be compulsory this fall. So was this measure a failure?
“The effects are very unequal depending on the establishments. This is why I do not want to impose the same educational organization everywhere and why I leave the choice to the establishments. What matters is that in the end, students who are in difficulty receive more support and students who are comfortable go further. »
The Minister of Education Édouard Geffray confirmed the entry into force of the ban on mobile phones in high schools from the start of the school year. Photo Sipa/Romuald Meigneux
How will you improve the protection of students against sexual violence?
“One in 10 children are victims of sexual violence in France. Also, I decided that on the occasion of the annual questionnaire on school harassment, distributed each year in November, questions on gender-based and sexual violence (SGBV) be added. From the main section of kindergarten to final year, 10 million students will be questioned about what they may have been forced to endure. This questionnaire will initially be anonymous, but they will have the option to leave their names if they wish to meet a trusted adult.
We have two months of work ahead of us to develop the content of the questionnaire with school staff, parent-teacher associations and a committee of experts including child psychiatrists. The results are likely to be seismic, because the phenomenon is massive. Remember that National Education is the first reporter of violence against minors: last year, it issued 88,000 concerning information or article 40 (not only for sexual violence, but also parental failings). »
Sexuality education: “I will ask school heads and principals to plan the three sessions between October and June”
Education sessions on emotional life, relationships and sexuality (Evars) are still not a reality in many establishments. How do you plan to fix it?
“Today, 92% of schoolchildren, 23% of middle school students and 15% of high school students have had at least one session. For me, 100% application is non-negotiable. We are going to change gear this year: I am going to ask school leaders and principals to plan the three sessions between October and June. This programming must be implemented in the first weeks of the year. Furthermore, if 80,000 staff have already been trained last year on the subject, the objective is that by December, one additional person per establishment will also be trained. »
“We do not touch a teacher, it must remain taboo”
A decree allows a student whose parent threatens the safety of a member of the establishment to change schools. Do you understand that this measure may be shocking?
“Some union organizations and parent-teacher associations have expressed concerns. I respect them and I have also modified the text following the consultation. But I fully accept this measure. Today, 30% of serious incidents in the first degree are caused by parents. We do not touch a teacher, it must remain taboo. It is not a sanction to change a student’s establishment, it is a safeguard measure. And obviously, there will be reinforced monitoring of the student who would have to change establishment. »
You gave firm instructions to the Brevet and Baccalaureate correctors regarding spelling, were they followed and how can we better prepare students for this requirement from this start of the school year?
“Language mastery is a determining element in academic success. For the patent and the 2026 baccalaureate, I gave directions, but I understood that it was necessary to give a clear direction, earlier. From the start of the school year, the General Inspectorate of National Education will make public the elements of the scale, which will include the expectations on language mastery for the tests in each discipline. Students and teachers will therefore know what to expect from the start of the year. »
Uniform experimentation: “Neither a failure nor a waste”
The uniform experiment will not be repeated this fall. Why was it a failure?
“It’s neither a failure nor a waste. But experience shows that the effect will have been quite weak overall. In terms of academic results, we have not seen any particularly clear changes. On the school climate, the effects were quite uneven. If it doesn’t work, we’re not going to persist. But if some people want to continue the experiment locally because it works, they are free to do so. »
“There is a major project, it is the remuneration of the first half of your career”
A recent study by your ministry indicates that the average salary increased by 4.3% in 2024. This is mainly linked to inflation, bonuses and overtime, according to the unions, who denounce a lack of real upgrading, which could reinforce the vocations crisis. What is planned between now and the end of the five-year term?
“Indeed, the net salary of teachers increased from 2,649 euros on average in 2021 to 3,090 euros on average in 2024. According to Depp, this net salary increased by 4.3% between 2023 and 2024. There is objectively an increase. Does that mean teachers are paid enough? My deep conviction is that we must continue to improve their remuneration in general. There is a major project, it is the remuneration of the first half of the career. Between 0 and 25 years old, it’s roughly 400 to 500 euros more per month, between 25 and 35 years old, it’s 1,000 euros more per month. But this is a new five-year project. »
Questionnaire on sexual violence in National Education: “Sustainable human resources will be required”
Isabelle Debré, president of the Enfant Bleu association, which fights in particular against sexual violence among children, insists on the need to provide “human resources” to give credibility to the questionnaire on sexist and sexual violence which will be launched in November.
Can this type of questionnaire help to free up student speech?
“Reaching out to children is always a good initiative. The questionnaire will make it possible to collect statistics on these cases. Then, we must question ourselves about listening to the child’s words. If it remains anonymous, it risks being a double punishment for the victim, because he will speak out and nothing happens behind it. A child who talks about sexual violence must be supported, otherwise he feels abandoned and that is dangerous. If he has the courage to speak, he needs someone in front of him and you need to know who to talk to. »
Should we expect an explosion in reports?
“At l’Enfant Bleu, we organize prevention workshops on sexual violence in schools. Almost every time, there are revelations, we must not leave them by the wayside. So yes, there will surely be a good number of reports, but I insist on support. Sustainable human resources must be provided to support the system, with trained personnel. You must be able to act immediately, but also to follow the child over the long term. »
Will the conditions be safe enough to allow children to confide in each other?
“Students will need to be able to complete this questionnaire calmly. The credibility of the system rests on this question. Then, it will be necessary to have psychologists trained in speech collection and to successfully involve all relevant stakeholders, such as specialized associations. But we will only be able to fully comment on this initiative once we have the questionnaire in hand.
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The content of the questionnaire will be developed with school staff, parent-teacher associations and a committee of experts who will meet with child psychiatrists, specifies Édouard Geffray.Comments collected by Octave Odola
