After an initial phase of experimentation and two years of operation on a voluntary basis, this system is gradually being extended to all teenagers aged 15 to 17. The Minister of Education wants to make it compulsory in six departments, before generalizing it.
The next generations of high school students could soon have a new point in common: to have gone on a “cohesion stay”, the term used to designate the sessions of the Universal National Service (SNU). Launched in 2019 on an idea by Emmanuel Macron, this system, which is currently based on volunteering, could be made compulsory for each age group.
The Head of State had declared that he wanted to ask “the first milestones” of the generalized UNS in 2023, before formulating, during his wishes to the armies in January, his wish to thus form a “nation of living souls” face “unexpectedly”. According to a note from the Ministry of Education that franceinfo was able to consult, Thursday March 2, Pap Ndiaye first wants to make the SNU compulsory in six departments, while the Elysée promises arbitration on the subject for the spring.
1 What is the objective of the UNS?
It is difficult not to see in the UNS an echo of compulsory military service, repealed in France in 1997. Since that time, “the reinstatement of a form of service allowing social mixing and remedial education” is a “recurring concern” in the public debate, underlines a senatorial report dating from June 2022. It was moreover during his first wishes to the armies, in 2018, that Emmanuel Macron announced this device, supposed “promote the participation and commitment of each young person in the life of the nation (…), strengthen social cohesion and energize the republican crucible”according to its founding principles.
In concrete terms, the SNU’s “cohesion stays” last twelve days and are open to all teenagers aged 15 to 17. Several time slots are offered each year, depending on the school holidays in each area. Participants must be of French nationality and, for the time being, have parental consent. The stay must take place in another department and in collective accommodation.
A typical day at SNU begins with sunrise at 8 a.m., followed by a workout and various activities before bedtime no later than 10:30 p.m. Teenagers follow sports, informative and educational “modules”. “Knowledge of public services”, “defense and security”, “discovery of commitment” are among the themes discussed in groups. On the regulations side, the mobile phone is prohibited, the wearing of the uniform is compulsory and putting one’s hands in the pockets is liable to punishment, as discovered Release.
However, this universal service is not limited to a stay. It continues throughout the year with an 84-hour “general interest mission”, in a nearby structure (association, public service, uniformed corps, etc.). The service can be concluded by a three-month commitment, also voluntary, in the army, the police, the fire brigade, the accompaniment of people or even the preservation of heritage or the environment, according to a non-exhaustive list of the Ministry of Education.
2 How many young people have already participated?
In 2019, thehe first experiment brought together around 2,000 volunteers in 13 pilot departments. The following year, the program had been very disrupted by the health crisis. In 2021, 18,000 teenagers took part in stays organized for the first time in all French departments. This number has increased further in 2022, with 32,000 participants welcomed in 267 centers, according to the Ministry of Education, which specifies that 69% of volunteers from this vintage were in second class, and 55.9% were girls.
If France were to make SNU compulsory, 800,000 adolescents (number of young people in an age group) should be admitted each year, according to the government’s initial estimates. Guest of “Sunday in politics” on France 3, January 8, Gabriel Attal, Minister in charge of Public Accounts, to whom we owe the establishment of the UNS in 2019, confirmed this figure and reaffirmed his desire to see the SNU extended to all high school students. “It is useful for the country”he judged.
3 What are the feedbacks?
They are generally positive, according to the National Institute of Youth and Popular Education (Injep), attached to the Ministry of National Education. “The satisfaction rate remains high (90%) and the social mix moderate, even if it differs according to the period of stay”underlines the Injep in the report of its surveys carried out in 2022. The majority of respondents would advise the SNU to their comrades, even if around 10% declared that the stay had been “imposed” on them by their family.
Among the participants of the past year, “77% think that the UNS is useful to society”, details the report. Iare opinions “vary between girls and boys”, nuance however the Injep. For the first, this device must first play a role in learning about social issues, initiation to first aid and the promotion of equal opportunities. For the latter, the UNS should rather be used to reinforce patriotism and promote the professional integration of young people.
4 How much does this program cost?
Participation in the SNU is free for young people, but represents a non-negligible bill for the State. As the system extended to the whole of France, the necessary budget changed in size to reach 61 million euros in 2021 then 110 million euros in 2022, according to the Banque des Territoires, i.e. an average cost of more of 3,400 euros per participant. If it were to be made compulsory, the SNU could cost between 1 and 1.5 billion euros per year, according to estimates put forward by the executive when it was launched in 2019.