France to roll out ‘essential’ gender equality and consent lessons in schools
France is set to introduce gender equality and consent lessons. (Getty)
France is set to introduce lessons in gender equality and consent into the curriculum for children as young as four years old in both public and private schools.
French Education Minister Elisabeth Borne is launching a new plan to transform the sex education syllabus in schools in a bid to tackle sexual violence and violence against women and girls.
The former prime minister told broadcaster France Inter: “Education about love, about relationships and sexuality is absolutely essential.”
The new syllabus is set to be rolled out after the summer holidays and will implement three sex education sessions per year for primary, middle and secondary schools.
It will include age-appropriate discussions around gender identity and biological sex for children as young as four, as per Hear Her Stories. The outlet reports that four-year-olds will be learning “the scientific terms for genitalia and explore concepts of equality and consent”.
Borne confirmed that the programme’s content would be “adjusted to the age and maturity of pupils” though, as they will include “role-play scenarios, such as asking, ‘Can I hold your hand?’ to teach that it’s acceptable to say ‘no’.”
“The programme is very careful to provide quality information that is adapted to a pupil’s age,” Borne added.
For children aged 13, they will be introduced to the “distinctions between biological sex, gender, and sexual orientation,” to develop a greater understanding of such concepts.
By age 14, students will explore “the complex reality of sexuality, discussing its facets of pleasure, love and reproduction”. By 16 years of age, lessons will be held around “biological differences between men and women” and how that doesn’t affect the self-expression, behaviour and roles people take.
The new programme mentions that sex education in school will not “take the place of pupils’ parents and families”, and has been submitted for approval to France’s Higher Education Council.
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