In a long-awaited move towards comprehensive sexual education, French students are set to receive lessons on sex, gender stereotypes, and consent beginning this September. The curriculum, approved by the French government after years of stagnation, addresses a legislative mandate that was initiated nearly a quarter-century ago but had never been enacted. Sarah Durocher, president of Le Planning Familial—a French equivalent to Planned Parenthood—expressed optimism, stating, “We have been waiting 25 years for this.”
France Introduces Comprehensive Sex Education Curriculum After Decades of Delay
France Introduces Comprehensive Sex Education Curriculum After Decades of Delay
In a major policy shift, France is set to incorporate sexual education into its school system starting this September, at long last providing a framework that had been mandated 25 years ago.
The push to implement a formal curriculum comes after a nonprofit organization, in 2023, filed a lawsuit against the government for failing to uphold its own law. Despite the continuing legal battle, the government has proceeded with the curriculum rollout amid significant opposition. Critics, particularly from the conservative Les Républicains party, brand the program as “ideological brainwashing” and have called for the removal of content addressing “gender identity.”
Education Minister Elisabeth Borne defended the curriculum as “absolutely essential,” citing alarming statistics that reveal one child in France is sexually abused every three minutes, predominantly by family members. Borne has stressed the need for students to receive accurate information, particularly in a digital age where many youth are influenced by online pornography.
Education Minister Elisabeth Borne defended the curriculum as “absolutely essential,” citing alarming statistics that reveal one child in France is sexually abused every three minutes, predominantly by family members. Borne has stressed the need for students to receive accurate information, particularly in a digital age where many youth are influenced by online pornography.
