In brief
After decades of inaction, France has approved a comprehensive sex education program for schools to start in September, following a lawsuit and growing concerns over children's sexual education and safety.
Students in France are set to embark on a new educational journey this September as the government rolls out the long-awaited sex education curriculum. Nearly 25 years since the law was passed mandating sex education in schools, the French government has finally taken steps to create and implement a formal program that will include lessons on sex, consent, and gender stereotypes.Sarah Durocher, president of Le Planning Familial—an organization akin to Planned Parenthood—expressed relief and excitement over the news, considering the long history of advocacy for such education. In 2023, her organization, along with others, launched a lawsuit against the government for its failure to enact its own legislative mandate, an issue still pending resolution in court.Despite facing significant opposition, including criticism from conservative senators who labeled the curriculum as “ideological brainwashing,” government officials pushed through the program. A group of more than 100 conservative senators signed a public letter opposing elements related to “woke ideology” and called for the removal of references to “gender identity” from the curriculum.Elisabeth Borne, the French education minister, has defended the initiative passionately, emphasizing its necessity in light of harrowing statistics regarding child sexual abuse. She noted that, alarmingly, one child is sexually abused every three minutes in France, with many children currently obtaining sexual knowledge from harmful online pornography sources. With the curriculum now in place, authorities are focused on teacher training and resource distribution to ensure that students receive accurate and effective education on these crucial issues.
