Organization, cost, monitoring… how could the deployment of the uniform take place at school?

The Minister of National Education wants to launch a “large-scale” experiment to open the debate on a generalization of the wearing of uniforms “on a scientific basis”.

Soon children in uniform in schools? A “large-scale experimentation” will be set up with a certain number of educational establishments, announced Gabriel Attal on franceinfo Wednesday December 6. The Minister of Education has promised announcements in the coming weeks. Franceinfo already has elements.

Since September, schools and communities have shown interest in testing the uniform for their students. For example, if a department, which is responsible for the colleges, says it is voluntary, all the colleges will have to decide on the uniform in the board of directors. If it is adopted, all students in the establishment will be obliged to wear the single outfit. A change in method compared to the experiment launched in 2018 in schools in Provins (Seine-et-Marne) which quickly flopped: families had the choice, and only some of them had obtained the outfit.

Coverage of the cost of the uniform

The uniform will be the same everywhere in France, with small differences depending on the school level. And, a priori, it will be funded, as the Minister of Education wishes so that there are no costs for families. Gabriel Attal assured “work with the local authorities concerned so that the experiment can be carried out without any burden for the families”. Asked about the age of the students concerned, he replied that this “will be part” upcoming announcements.

Gabriel Attal insists on monitoring this experiment: “The idea is to test and see if it works: does it have an impact on authority at school, school harassment, questions of secularism, and overall on questions of school climate. Are we seeing an improvement in the performance and level of our students? I would like there to be real research monitoring, which we are currently putting in place, to measure effectiveness.“

The first establishments or communities could launch at the start of the 2024 school year, next September, or as early as this spring, for the most motivated.