Changes are envisaged for this teaching material from primary to high school. It is the subject of a bill.
Each school year brings its share of new features. In 2024, two major initiatives were implemented in certain establishments: the experimentation of the school uniform and the establishment of a digital break, which forces college students to drop their phones in lockers when they arrive at school. Other projects are already examined for the upcoming return.
This is the case of the bill brought by Senator Laurent Lafon to “protect the school of the Republic and the staff who work there”. She wishes to clarify the perimeter of the prohibition of students to wear ostentatious religious signs, inscribed in the article L141-5-1 of the education code. There are currently “gray zones” for certain cases such as activities organized by establishments outside school time, as specified vie-publique.fr. It would then be necessary to specify that this rule applies “to students who participate in activities related to the lessons, in or outside establishments, organized by these schools, colleges and public high schools, including outside of school time”. This bill also aims to reform one of the flagship materials. The content of this teaching having been modified many times.
Article L.312-15 of the education codethe program of moral and civic education, educated from primary to high school, should be simplified according to the bill. The latter is currently defined as aimed at “bringing students to become responsible and free citizens, to forge a critical sense and to adopt thoughtful behavior”.
Among the themes mentioned, we find the use of the Internet, the rights of the child, respect for the problems of people with disabilities, awareness of community life and civic service or respect for pets. According to the bill, this diversity of subjects would create “à la carte teaching”, then moving away from the primary objective of having a common citizen culture.
Thus, moral and civic education must be refocused on “knowledge of institutions, the development of critical sense, the understanding of international, societal and environmental issues as well as on training in the values and principles of the Republic”. Which is already a lot.
The bill was adopted at first reading in the Senate on March 6. It must now be examined by the Assembly. This material is in any case at the center of the concerns of National Education: this year, it was revalued for the college certificate since it will have its own note, separated from that of history-geography despite a common test of two hours.