we explain to you the controversy launched by conservative circles about this school program

It has not yet been published, but is already hotly contested. The education program for emotional, relational and sexual life, which must be presented in mid-December to the Higher Council of Education before its official publication, is facing a major conservative revolt. According to family associations, elected officials and hard-right and far-right organizations, the latest version of the text would be “ideological” and imprinted with a “woke activism”. References to gender stereotypes and gender identity, in particular, have no place in school, believe in particular the Family Union (formerly Manif pour tous) and SOS Education. Conversely, all teaching unions and prevention associations judge the latest copy of the program to meet the challenges.

But the protesting minority could well push the government back: lhe Minister Delegate for Academic Success, Alexandre Portier (LR), assured, Wednesday November 27, that “this program, as it stands, is not acceptable” et “needs to be reviewed”. If the Minister of Education, Anne Genetet, reframed her pair on Thursday, affirming that “there is no gender theory in this program”, certain mentions relating to “gender identity” in the text could be deleted by rue de Grenelle, according to our information, even if nothing is definitive.

Franceinfo looks back at the genesis of this sexuality education program and explains the reasons for a controversy that was difficult to control by the ministry.

A program promised by Pap Ndiaye to make the 2001 law effective

Since 2001, the obligation to provide sexuality education has been enshrined in law, which provides “at least three annual sessions” in schools, colleges and high schools. Article L312-16 of the Education Code specifies that “These sessions present an egalitarian vision of relationships between women and men. They contribute to learning about respect for the human body and raise awareness of sexist or sexual violence as well as female sexual mutilation”. But in reality, the law is poorly enforced. To the point that “less than 15% of students” benefit from these sessions, according to a report from the General Inspectorate of Education, published in 2021.

The reasons are on the one hand a lack of teacher training, on the other hand a lack of national framework. “As the entire subject is not in the teaching program, potentially, you can skip through this theme”, Bruno Bobkiewicz, principal and secretary general of SNPDEN-Unsa, explained to franceinfo at the beginning of October.

To compensate for this second flaw, Pap Ndiaye, then Minister of National Education, therefore promised in June 2023 the development of a school program on education for emotional life and sexuality. A mission entrusted to the Higher Program Council, which it charged with developing “for each level of education (…) the themes and concepts which must be addressed”. A first version of the program was released last March, before a second, more complete version in mid-November.

An almost finalized version of the text criticized by conservative organizations

This latest version, which is not final, irritates the most conservative parents' associations. They have been mobilizing for several weeks to push back the ministry, in particular through petitions. Among the protest organizations, SOS Education believes that “l'Sexuality education has no place in school'. The Family Union, which is not against the existence of a program, denounces an approach “ideological, negative, hygienist, detailed and suggestive”, or even “a pro-gender and transactivist brainwash”. In far-right media too A wind of panic blows. The subject made the front page of JDD last weekend, with this question: “Children in danger?”

The project, consulted by franceinfo, is in reality centered on emotional and relational life in nursery and elementary school, and includes sexuality from middle school onwards. On November 19, the Minister of Education herself praised this program on CNews and Europe 1, ensuring that it was “very progressive” et “very sequenced”and that he would teach “simple things”.

For little ones, it's about knowing your body and being aware of privacy, then identifying dangerous situations and discovering the different family structures (heteroparenting, same-sex parenting, single parenting, etc.). In CE2, the notion of consent appears. From CM1, bullying, puberty, but also “stereotypes to fight against discrimination”. From CM2, children must learn to identify gender-based and sexual violence to protect themselves from it.

In middle school, the program becomes more ambitious in terms of sex education, with, in fifth grade, the identification of “what concerns the determination of biological sex, gender and sexual orientation”. From the fourth, health, with the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, is one of the priorities. The control mechanisms are also mentioned thirdly. In high school, the emphasis is on intimacy in the age of social media and the freedom to be yourself.

The ministry begins a retreat

While the Ministry of National Education until now seemed firm in its positions, Alexandre Portier has shaken the balance. Formulating in turn “significant reserves” on the current version of the project, the Minister for Academic Success assured Wednesday, during questions to the government in the Senate, that “this program, as it stands, is not acceptable” et “needs to be reviewed”. He added that he “would personally commit to ensuring that gender theory does not find its place in our schools”in response to Senator LR Max Brisson who asked that the text be “redacted” of “all traces of wokism”.

In a WhatsApp loop dedicated to the press, Anne Genetet's office rushed to confirm on Wednesday evening “alignment” of the minister with the words of her partner. Namely, specifies those around him, that “l“gender theory has no place in school”that there will be a “very strict supervision of all speakers who will address this subject” and one “better consideration of student development in programs”. According to this same source, the ministry so “made changes to the program which will be presented in mid-December” to the Higher Education Council.

The concept of “gender theory” is regularly brandished by the far right, including Eric Zemmour, who uses it to denounce a supposed ideology invading society and aiming to create confusion between identities and gender. During a trip to Marcq-en-Baroeul (North), Thursday, Anne Genetet nevertheless dotted the i’s. “Gender theory does not exist, nor does it exist in the program, she insisted. This program, I pilot it, and the line of this program is the line of the ministry, there is no theory of gender in this program.”

As for the changes made to the program, the expression “gender identity”which recurred 17 times in the last version, could be deleted by the ministry, franceinfo learned, but everything does not seem to have been resolved yet.

Teacher unions and prevention associations in misunderstanding

The teachers' unions are unanimous in saying that the program must remain as it is. “It is problematic to give a sounding board to very dangerous small groups, who threaten what we do in the school,” estimates Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary of Snes-FSU, speaking to franceinfo. According to her, this text has a “educational objective” and of “very important prevention”. Organizations like the Family Planning, Sidaction and the Independent Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence Against Children (Ciivise) also urge the government not to empty the program of its content.

This smear campaign and the possible rejection of the text are reminiscent of the episode of “ABCD of equality”. In June 2014, the National Education Department gave up, after a year of experimentation, on generalizing this operation aimed at combating girl-boy stereotypes. At the time, she was accused by circles traditionalists to propagate… the “gender theory”.