French children heading back to school this week face stricter phone bans, tougher exams and new lessons in sexuality and AI, while Education Minister Elisabeth Borne is hoping a fresh start in classrooms will clear the political storm clouding her own future.
On Monday, 1 September, la rentrée will see France's 12 million school pupils go back to class, with new rules and new exams to contend with.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Borne is facing mounting political uncertainty that could cut short her tenure.
Digital 'detox'
One of the most visible changes this year is the extension of the “portable en pause” scheme, under which pupils are only allowed to use their phones on their break (pause in French).
While a 2018 law already prohibits mobile phone use in French secondary schools, enforcement has often been patchy.
The new approach obliges students to leave their devices in lockers, pouches or cases during lessons.
Piloted last year in about a hundred schools, the scheme is now being rolled out nationally – although its implementation will be left to each headteacher, in agreement with local authorities.
Education unions have noted that authorities have not seen a surge of requests, suggesting many schools believe their current rules suffice.
The digital detox also extends to the online platforms that have become central to school life.
From this term, the widely used Espaces numériques de travail (ENT) – the online platform used to share timetables, homework, grades and messages – will no longer be updated between 8pm and 7am on weekdays, or over weekends. This also applies to digital workplace software such as Pronote,
The “right to disconnect” is designed to ease screen fatigue and reduce pressure on pupils and parents alike.
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Exams get tougher
Students in première – the penultimate year of lycée, French high school – face a new two-hour written maths exam next spring.
It will mix multiple-choice questions with short exercises and apply either to the general curriculum or to the specialised maths track.
At the same time, grading for France's high school diploma, the baccalauréat, is being tightened, with the overall pass mark raised to 9.5 out of 20. There will be tighter restrictions on resits too.
The brevet – the middle-school leaving certificate – is also changing. Exam marks will account for 60 percent of the final grade, up from 50 percent, with continuous assessment dropping to 40 percent.
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Sex education and new curriculum
Another long-discussed reform comes into force this school year: compulsory sex and relationship education.
Although mandated by law since 2001, the sessions were often overlooked.
From this year, all schools – primary and secondary, public and private – must provide three annual classes under the new EVARS programme, which aims to educate students in empathy, consent and sexuality.
The education ministry has also asked schools to hold parent-teacher meetings early in the year, in order to address concerns and combat misinformation.
Meanwhile, new French and maths curricula are being rolled out from nursery through to the end of primary school, with experimental modules introducing pupils to artificial intelligence launching via the Pix digital platform.
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Minister under pressure
Borne was appointed education minister only eight months ago – after a short and turbulent succession of predecessors – but nonetheless now confronts the possibility that her first rentrée could be her last.
Prime Minister François Bayrou’s decision to seek a confidence vote in the National Assembly on 8 September has placed the entire government at risk, with a negative outcome widely expected.
Borne, herself a former prime minister, insists her “only compass” is ensuring a smooth return to school.
“We’ll see what happens,” she told Le Parisien newspaper, stressing that her focus is on pupils and teachers rather than parliamentary manoeuvres.
Unions, however, have express deep frustration over the revolving door at the education ministry. “We’re tired of changing ministers all the time,” said Elisabeth Allain-Moreno of SE-Unsa.
Others highlight persistent issues that reforms have not addressed: shortages of teachers, poor working conditions and low morale.
A survey by Unsa Education found 77 percent of teaching staff would not recommend their profession, and this year more than 2,600 teaching posts remain unfilled.
Wider budget cuts are adding to the unease in the sector. Although Bayrou’s July savings plan earmarks an extra €200 million for schools in 2026, education unions fear broader austerity measures could bite in the coming weeks.
