Education in emotional, relational and sexual life contributes to the emancipation of young people and is a “right of the child”, according to the CESE

In France, sex education has been mandatory in schools since 2001, which is far from being respected. The public authorities, through an opinion of the CESE published on Wednesday, want to encourage teachers to respect it while including it in an education on emotional relationships in general.

According to a survey published in 2024, one in six French people believe that it is up to parents to discuss the subject of sexuality with their children. Theoretically, schools also have a role to play: from primary to high school, three annual sessions are on the programme for each level. But in reality, less than 15% of students benefit from this teaching, according to the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE).

With the too rare information campaigns and our difficulties in talking about it at home, we are witnessing an alarming decline in condom use among adolescents, coupled with a higher risk of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. This is what a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) notes.

To remedy this, the CESE has just issued an opinion on Wednesday 11 September. Concerning schools, it proposes the implementation of a training plan for “education in emotional, relational and sexual life” for teachers. Today, this unique training does not exist and the CESE wants to sanction this failure, which it considers to be an obstacle to the rights of the child.

It is about education in emotional, relational and sexual life, not just sex education, as it is often summarized. It is therefore about talking about knowledge of one’s body, but also self-esteem, relationships with others or even sexism.

While waiting for a possible improvement in this teaching, at home as elsewhere, there is a particularly worrying subject: massive and early access to pornography. And since we never know when the child will be confronted with it – often before the age of 10, it is better to anticipate by explaining to him that this kind of content exists, that he may come across it, that it can be distressing and above all, that it does not reflect reality.