For several days, associations, parents and even a minister have denounced the project of education in emotional life, relationships and sexuality carried by the government which must come into force at the start of the 2025-2026 school year. An update on what this sex education program contains.
The opposition is making itself heard. The government's school sex education project faces numerous criticisms. Associations denounce in particular the invisibility of parents or the omnipresence of the gender issue.
CNEWS has studied this proposed education program for emotional life, relationships and sexuality which should come into force at the start of the next school year.
The Ministry of National Education specified that this project “was the subject of a national consultation of all education personnel, trade union organizations, other ministries and public institutions, teacher associations, academic teams managing sexuality education, inspection bodies and associations involved in sexuality education as well as families.
From its preamble, the project specifies that this education will be divided into two main components. The first studied from kindergarten to the end of secondary school focusing on emotional and relational life, and the second introduced to college on sexuality.
Many goals to achieve
Through a minimum of three supervised sessions per year and the addition of “learning time in other courses”, the Ministry of National Education has developed a program with multiple and ambitious objectives.
Thus, the latter aims at “equality of consideration and dignity, in particular equality between women and men; it contributes to the fight against all discrimination based on sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.”
But also to raise awareness of “the principle of consent”, “the prevention of different forms of violence and in particular sexist and sexual violence (including incest)”. All of this must be taught “in a positive approach”.
In addition, the ministry added an important clarification in the eyes of many family associations, aiming to remind teachers that “sex education requires adjustment to the age of the students”.
The notion of parents almost absent in early childhood
The emotional and relational life education program begins in kindergarten, that is to say from the age of three, at the heart of early childhood. Broadly speaking, the government wants young people to learn to identify and express their emotions and to take those of others into account. In addition, they are called upon to know their body, including the private parts which will not be named with scientific words before the preparatory course (CP).
Gender inequalities are also addressed in an educational way, by encouraging schoolchildren to play the games and activities they want without taking into account “gender stereotypes”.
From kindergarten to CP, the lessons given to children must allow them to understand the notion of intimacy but also the beginnings of that of consent. The children are then explained the importance of successfully identifying “trusted adults” and “learning to call on them”.
This term “trusted adult” is one of those which is criticized by family associations. The National Confederation of Catholic Family Associations (CNAFC), for example, launched a petition to say “no” to this program.
The CNAFC believes that the program “invisibilizes parents”. Indeed, in the text, the ministry draws up a non-exhaustive list of people who can be said to be of trust for the child: “school, family, medical, sports environment…”.
“The parents, although the first and main educators, occupy a relative place in this text which they would share with the other educators (…) The program thus does not differentiate in the minds of the children the particular place and the legitimate authority of their parents” , explains the confederation, which fears that “each father or mother (is) seen only as a potentially abusive adult”.
The program also plans to teach children to differentiate between different family structures and to respect them, whether they are “heteroparental, single-parent, homoparental; parents living together, separated parents, adopted children, children entrusted to a foster family or to the care of family members other than their parents.
Emotions and self-acceptance at the heart of the primary years
The primary education program for emotional and relational life focuses heavily on the understanding of emotions. Thus, children are called upon to integrate the principle of “empathetic listening to others” but also to determine when they feel “good or bad”, while having the ability to “ask others for help”.
In terms of the body, disability, puberty but also the importance of self-esteem are at the heart of this education. Children are encouraged to understand that “each person has a unique body”, which is important to respect. The subject of female menstruation must be discussed with girls but also boys to break the taboo that surrounds them.
Social relationships are detailed around the great precepts of love and friendship with an in-depth look at the notions of consent and refusal. The ministry emphasizes that children must understand that refusal is natural.
During the middle school years (CM1 and CM2), children are introduced to the identification of different forms of harassment and violence in order to better fight against them. In particular harassment and sexist and sexual violence. Teachers should instill in children the principle that “a victim is never responsible.”
In an ultra-connected world, the dangers of the Internet and social networks (although prohibited for those under 13-14 years old) are discussed from CM2.
Introduction to sexuality in secondary school
It is with entry into secondary school that the sexuality education component appears. The sixth year, a year of change and transition, sees its program largely focused on puberty and changes in the body.
Thus, this sexuality education will be detailed in all its dimensions, that is to say, biological, psychoaffective, moral, sociocultural and relational. The Ministry of National Education emphasizes the importance of explaining to young people that “these changes occur at different paces for each individual” and that each person’s pace must be respected.
From the fifth grade, sessions on sexuality will enter the program with the notions of sex, gender (gender identity, gender expression) and sexual orientation. Young adolescents will be explained how to respect these and understand how to become aware of their own orientation, which may need to evolve.
In this education, sexuality will be approached as “a complex reality” and a “personal journey” which must be respected. The violence and dangers linked to sexual life (HIV, STIs, unintentional pregnancy, etc.) are explained to students in third grade at the dawn of high school.
Consent also plays a central role in the secondary education program on emotional life, relationships and sexuality. Students are taught to give it but also to obtain it, to recognize the influence and respect of others in order to “thrive in their relationship with others”.
Finally, the risks linked to social networks are explored in greater depth during secondary school. In particular the importance of protecting one's privacy and that of others, while understanding the danger of sexual exposure to them.
