French school elections: how to vote for parent reps this autumn
Parents elect representatives to make decisions on child safety and school improvement
Parent reps have a number of tasks at a school, aiming to ensure a smooth running of the facility
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Elections take place in French schools nationwide in autumn, allowing parents interested in playing a more active role in their children's education to take part in school life.
Parents whose children are enrolled at a school are allowed to stand for election as parent representatives, who sit in on and become members of school councils, and the boards of governors.
This is because France's Code de l’éducation classes parents as full members of the educational community and are expected to take part in their children's educational affairs.
The elections, held annually always take place on a set date notified in advance. The elections must be held before the end of the seventh week of the school year.
In 2026, they will be held on October 9 or 10 depending on the school, or October 2 or 3 in overseas departments La Réunion and Mayotte.
The roles vary but generally include ensuring the safety of children in schools, voting the school rules and giving opinions on matters such as school meals, hygiene and child safety.
Other tasks can include keeping parents informed about the activities and life of the school, and offering or organising other services to help pupils, such as extra tutoring or homework help sessions.
Reps are elected after they stand for election.
All parents with children enrolled in the school are both eligible to vote and to stand for election, with the exception of school staff who are members of the board of governors.
Voting process
The voting process usually sees parents go to their children's school to hand over their ballot in person.
They may also vote by post if they have been given the correct ballot papers, typically six days before the vote.
They should also be given a leaflet explaining how to vote by post, including election statements, and numbered envelopes to guarantee the anonymity of the vote.
The vote must reach the electoral office before the end of the voting period, but can be handed in by the parent’s child, if needs be.
Both parents are eligible to vote, whether they are married or not, separated or divorced. School staff are also eligible to vote if they are parents of pupils attending the school where they work.
Each voter has only one vote, regardless of the number of their children enrolled at the same school.
The number of parent representatives depends on the number of classes in the school, and how large the school is overall.
Across all primary schools in France there are almost 248,000 reps.
In collèges and lycées (middle and high schools), there are some 44,600 reps nationwide, with the number varying depending on the type of school and its size. Generally, each school has between five and seven reps.
Parent associations
There are two main parent associations in public education, the FCPE (Fédération des Conseils de Parents d'élèves, federation of parent-pupil councils) and the PEEP (Fédération des parents d'élèves de l'enseignement public, parents of pupils in public education).
These federations share and advocate for a number of values, including a commitment to public and secular schools, the educational rights of parents, the healthy development of pupils' personalities and personal independence, and a commitment to diversity and respect.
