French Ministry of Education revises school sexual violence questionnaires

The French Ministry of National Education is planning to implement annual questionnaires for students, from primary school to high school, to identify victims of gender-based and sexual violence. The initiative aims to better detect violence and encourage victims to speak out.

However, the program has faced significant criticism from educational communities and specialized associations. Critics argue that the initial versions of the questionnaires use overly legalistic language—such as ‘sexual assault’ or ‘lack of free consent’—that may be incomprehensible to children and adolescents. There are also concerns regarding the lack of guaranteed support for students once violence is identified.

Due to these reservations, the Ministry has announced it will revise the first version of the tool. The presentation of the ‘Brisons le silence’ questionnaire to the Higher Council of Education has been postponed to October 1. If implemented as planned, the questionnaires are intended to become mandatory twice a year for public and private contracted establishments starting in the 2026 school year.