In brief
In a significant move for student welfare, France will finally implement sex education in schools starting September. This curriculum addresses urgent issues like consent and gender knowledge nearly a quarter-century after it was mandated by law.
Starting this September, students in France will be stepping into a classroom that finally teaches them about essential topics like sex, consent, and gender stereotypes. For the first time in 25 years, the French government is rolling out a comprehensive sex education curriculum, after years of delays since the law was initially passed.The initiative comes after advocacy groups pushed for change, emphasizing the need for education on these crucial subjects. Sarah Durocher, president of Le Planning Familial, expressed that they had been waiting for this moment for too long. The curriculum promises to provide necessary training for teachers and relevant materials to enhance learning.Despite some backlash from conservative groups, who labeled the program as “ideological brainwashing,” Education Minister Elisabeth Borne defended the curriculum as vital for students. She highlighted alarming statistics from an independent commission indicating that a child is sexually abused every three minutes in France, predominantly by family members. The new curriculum aims to combat this issue and counteract unregulated information from online sources.
