French schools will finally work to teach sexual education

Students in France will get to know something new starting in September: sex, gender stereotypes and approval.

Almost a quarter of a century after the French government approved a law-but it was not put in the field of sexual education for each student, it has finally developed curricula from sexual education lessons, with a plan to train teachers and training course materials.

Sarah Duraoshir, head of the family’s planning, a French reward for the planned family – said one of three non -profit organizations Filed a lawsuit against the government in 2023 To not implement its law.

This lawsuit has not yet been resolved in court. But the government pushed the curricula on its own, to the protests of the opponents who criticized it.Ideological brain washingAnd “and Harmful to develop children.

More than 100 Senate members with the Conservative Party Les Répuplicanes signed An editorial, published in Le Figaro Newspapers are removed, a “wake up ideology” opposes the program and calls for all signals of “sexual identity”.

But Elizabeth Borni, Minister of Education, described the new program as “very necessary.”

It shed light on the results Independent committeeWhich showed that one child in France is exposed to sexual abuse every three minutes, most of them by a member of his family. Many children now Learn about sex from online pornographic sitesShe indicated.

Although the curricula are scheduled to enter into force in September, opponents are still fighting; An alliance of a few groups filed a lawsuit to stop it before the Supreme Administrative Court in France.

Activists and experts say that the approval of the curricula was paid by changing positions in France on sex since the #Metoo movement.

“Public opinion now realizes that it is necessary to talk to children about this type of things, because they will remain silent,” said Yves Vernuel, Professor of Education at the University of Lyon.. “The Ministry, and therefore, saw this change in the mentality.”

The trial that was widely published in the past fall of dozens of men, Condemn From the rape of a woman called Gisèle Pelicot Experts say that while she was deeply narcotic, she also had an effect. The issue ignited the discussions throughout the country about the banality of informal rape, the perception of women and the lack of understanding of what approval, and how it should be given before sex.

“How can these men say that they obtained approval when seeing a narcotic and outsidant woman?” Mrs. Duraoshir said. “The issue of how to teach approval raised.”

On paper, the French government offered sexual education since 1973. But the courses were optional and parents can withdraw their children from them, explained by Mr. Vernuel, the professor, who wrote book On the history of sexual education in France.

In 2001, the government submitted a law that requires three annual sexual education sessions for each student. Mr. Vernuel said that subsequent governments expanded the contents of the path to include categories only on sexually transmitted diseases and the risks of pregnancy, but sexual discrimination, homosexuality, sexual violence and the concept of approval.

However, no specific curriculum was developed, none of the budget or specialized training has been presented and no employee was developed to teach the classroom, said Audrey Channat, the leader of the French Federation who represents the principles of middle and high schools.

At the middle school in Koniak where she is a principal, these training courses require more than 100 hours of employee time.

“I have no individuals for that,” she said, noting that the employees have covered some topics in the ninth grade biology.

“A real educational program for sexual and intimate relations with three hours per semester? There is almost no place.”

A 2021 report Through the Ministry of Audit at the Ministry of Education, Sports and Research confirmed the point of Mrs. Channat: only 15 to 20 percent of French students were presented with these three semesters per year.

“It is clear that many students pass the whole of them without benefiting from one lesson,” and the report mentioned

French women’s philosopher Cameelvaux-metterie said that the failure in the status of sexual education in schools reveals a deep social province in France.

She said: “Education about sex, as well as emotional and sexual relationships, is learning to respect others, gender and nationalities.” “This is pushing against a conservative tradition that was always present in France.”

Ms. Froidevaux-metterie said that the government continued to try to implement its law, but every time, fierce opposition was met.

In 2014, after the government trained teachers in 10 school areas to detect sexual stereotypes and help children overcome them for a pilot program, some parents organized provinces and withdrawing children from school for two days. Activists who opposed gay marriage said that the program would do Destroying the family model of two different traditional sexes and teaching children that they can choose their Jind themP.

After one of the teachers was targeted on social media with personal threats, the program was reduced, and Najat Valwood-Bilkasim, who was the Minister of Women’s Rights in the country at that time.

The same opponents protested and distributed in the past fall and winter, opposing teaching on sexual identity.

Ludovine de la Roshier, co -founder of the main marriage movement to combat gay in France in early 2010, which led the opposition of the sexual education program at a later time, told a Catholic radio station that the program will show children the possibility of gender transition. Its organization is part of the alliance that filed a lawsuit to stop the first autumn sexual education lessons.

The new curriculum, which was published last month in the official bulletin of the Ministry of Education, focuses on the issues of equality between men and women, combating discrimination, principle of approval, prevention of sexual discrimination and sexual violence.

Although they consider the curriculum a reason to celebrate, activists who are fighting for it did not withdraw a lawsuit against the government. They say that its success is financing – up to 620 million euros annually, or 52 euros per student, according to one estimate, which is about 67 million dollars, or about $ 56 per student.

So far, the Ministry of Education has not committed any money.

“We know that the implementation will be difficult,” said Ms. Dorushir. “It will be a new feminist battle.”

Ségolène Stradic The research contributed.