French school year 2025-2026: the changes that await pupils
Reforms on how French and mathematics are taught as well as expanded sexual education, stricter rules for mobile phones and more
Mathematics and French will receive special focus, with teachers able to regularly monitor pupils’ progress and adjust instruction
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The 2025-2026 school year in France will bring significant changes for approximately the country’s 12 million pupils when classes restart on September 1, including reforms to how French and mathematics are taught.
The reforms announced in the Bulletin officiel de l'éducation nationale on July 3 also include changes to the brevet and baccalauréat, stricter rules for mobile phone use, the introduction of physical aptitude tests, expanded sexual education classes, and enhanced career guidance.
Strengthening core skills in French and mathematics
New programmes will be implemented from the petite section of maternelle (age 3-4) to sixième (age 11-12)
They aim to consolidate fundamental skills as 15 per cent of pupils entering sixth grade have not reached the expected reading level.
Mathematics and French will receive special focus, with teachers able to regularly monitor pupils’ progress and adjust instruction.
The reforms have faced criticism for rigid numeric targets and detailed frequency schedules.
Changes to the brevet des collèges
Final exams will now count for 60 per cent of the final grade, up from 50 per cent and continuous assessment 40 per cent, down from 50 per cent.
Passing the brevet will no longer be mandatory for access to lycée.
Adjustments to the baccalauréat
Pupils in their first year of general and technological bacs will face an early mathematics exam, alongside French.
Results will be used in applications on the Parcoursup website - the system that manages higher education applications in France.
Standards have been tightened: pupils scoring below 9.5 out of 20 must take the rattrapage to qualify for the diploma. Under this system, students can improve their exam results by attending remedial classes and additional tests after the release of the bac results in July.
The schedule for the baccalauréat professionnel will also shift, with the final oral exams moved to late June.
Education on affective and sexual life
The EVARS programme (éducation à la vie affective, relationnelle et sexuelle) will cover all levels, teaching pupils about self-awareness, consent, emotions and gender identity. Lessons aim to prevent sexist and sexual violence.
The programme has faced legal challenges but is defended by the ministry and teachers’ unions as essential.
Mobile phone and digital policies
The portable en pause policy will be extended to all collèges, prohibiting phones during school hours. Lycees may implement similar measures.
Digital platforms such as Pronote will restrict updates in the evenings and weekends to limit screen overuse.
Physical aptitude tests
All pupils in sixième will undergo tests in endurance, strength and speed during physical education classes.
The change was prompted by a 2024 study by the Ministry of Education that found that only 19 per cent of pupils in a sample group achieved satisfactory results in fitness trials.
Career guidance and orientation
From cinquième (age 12-13) onwards, pupils will receive four half-day sessions per year dedicated to career guidance, with opportunities to visit companies and attend career fairs.
Teachers will receive additional training to support students’ choices.
Additional reforms
Other changes include updated foreign language curricula, new civic education programmes, training on artificial intelligence for both pupils and teachers, measures to promote gender equality in science and mathematics, as well as continued initiatives against bullying and violence.
Mental health and wellbeing are also priorities, with each school required to implement dedicated protocols.
