Change in perspective for several thousand French students. The “common outfit”, the name favored by the government to designate the uniform, will be tested for students from the start of the 2024 school year in around a hundred establishments, with a view to possible generalization in 2026, specified the President of the Republic , Emmanuel Macron, during his press conference on January 16. The measurement will be even applied upon returning from the February holidays for those who are ready.
Which establishments will participate in the experiment? What will the uniform look like? Who will finance it? Franceinfo summarizes what we already know about this measure announced by the government.
A “common outfit” to “create a feeling of belonging”
After the abandonment of the blouse or uniform in French public schools in 1968, Emmanuel Macron said in September that he was in favor of “experiments” and to a “assessment” of the return of the uniform to school, speaking out for his part rather in favor of “unique outfit”, “much more acceptable for teenagers” according to him.
“This approach aims first and foremost to strengthen cohesion between students and improve the school climate.”
the Ministry of National Educationin a guide sent in December to local authorities
In a guide sent in December to voluntary communities, and consulted by franceinfo, the Ministry of Education estimates that “wearing common clothing is likely to create an atmosphere of work and equality within the establishment” since with an identical outfit, “social differences are being reduced, [ce qui] allows us to fight against the reign of appearance, too often a source of suffering for children and families. This outfit would also “a way to enhance the image of the school and the establishment by creating a feeling of belonging and unity between students”.
Around a hundred voluntary establishments
Emmanuel Macron published, Tuesday January 16, on his X account (ex-Twitter), a map of 100 schools, colleges and high schools who will experience this year the “common outfit”. Franceinfo was also able to consult the list of establishments and municipalities volunteering to set up the system.
Of the hundred establishments envisaged, around sixty have already been clearly identified: these are 39 schools, 11 middle schools and 10 high schools. The Elysée press service specifies that the others are being identified in the municipalities which have applied. Among voluntary communities, almost everywhere in France, we note the towns of Tourcoing, Reims or Nice, the departments of Allier, Alpes-Maritimes or Réunion, but also the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. No establishment is a candidate in Paris.
An outfit model that can be adapted
The government will proposeux communities participating in the experiment a turnkey outfit unveiled by Le Figaro Friday, and confirmed to Franceinfo on Saturday from a government source.
This “common outfit” will be composed a white or gray polo shirt, a navy blue sweater and charcoal gray pants. Kindergarten students will be given a blouse. A scratch on this outfit should also allow the community to affix its logo, financing part of the cost. The final choice of uniform model will nevertheless be left to the discretion of local authorities, provided that the specifications of the Ministry of Education are met. Rue de Grenelle specifies in particular that it is necessary “adapt it to the meteorological specificities of certain territories, the nature of the activities offered and, where applicable, the training followed”. In all cases, the outfit must “respect the principles of neutrality and secularism”.
“Shoes are not part of the trousseau” because “they present a cost which could exceed” the budget of 200 euros per student allocated to the experiment “as well as logistical difficulties”, because they can “be changed several times a year”, specifies the Ministry of National Education to franceinfo. Sportswear is also not part of the experiment.
Among the leaders of voluntary communities, the president (LR) of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Laurent Wauquiez, has already partly revealed on X the outfit that was chosen: a navy blue polo shirt, with the region’s logo, that of the establishment and a tricolor flag.
School uniform.
The Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region has unveiled the uniform which will be tested by students from 2024. – (FRANCE TELEVISIONS)
In order not to impose the cost of the kit on families, it will be financed by the communities, which will be able to benefit from State aid of up to 50% of this cost.
A deployment between February and September 2024
In the guide sent to communities, the ministry provides “a phase of dialogue within the school and the establishment” allowing in particular a modification of the internal regulations to provide for the wearing of uniforms, until the end of March. Then, the government gives establishments a new quarter to place orders for outfits, for the start of experimentation in September 2024. Some establishments, ready more quickly than the initial schedule, as in Béziers (Hérault), Puteaux (Hauts-de-Seine) or Metz (Moselle), will nevertheless be able to begin the experiment upon returning from the February holidays, provided that the measure is accepted by the school council.
An evaluation by the ministry
An evaluation of the measure will be made before its possible generalization to the entire territory, promised Emmanuel Macron. The indicators selected will relate to the well-being of students, the quality of the school climate (absenteeism, number of serious incidents occurring in establishments, physical and verbal violence, perception of the school climate, etc.) and academic success (grades , results of evaluations and examinations, etc.), specifies the document sent to the communities.
Will also be evaluated “the impact of common clothing on the reduction of social inequalities in academic success”, “the socio-economic impact of common clothing on families” And “the impact of common clothing on interactions between school stakeholders”details the Ministry of Education to franceinfo.
The opinions of the stakeholders concerned (students, parents, establishment staff, communities participating in the experiment) will be taken into account. Moreover, “the ministry will call for expressions of interest from researchers in science disciplines human and socialdetails the guide.
A measure that is not unanimous
Received differently by students, their families and school staff, the uniform nevertheless convinces a majority of French people: according to a YouGov survey conducted for Le HuffPost at the beginning of October, 68% of those questioned were in favor of wearing a unique outfit. . If the right and the far right welcomed this measure, this is not the case for the left opposition. “Does masking inequalities, in practice, cancel out inequalities? No”decides the mayor of Grenoble, Eric Piolle (EELV). “It doesn’t remove anything in terms of tensions.”
The uniform “removes the worst visible aspects of socio-economic inequity, but never eliminates it”also assures franceinfo Johanna Reidy, public health researcher at the New Zealand University of Otago. “There is no study that demonstrates a link between uniform and reduction of social inequalities”, recalls Michel Tondellier, teacher-researcher in educational sciences at the Caribbean Social Sciences Laboratory at the University of the Antilles. A American study from Ohio State Universitypublished in 2022, even suggests that the uniform has no or little overall impact on student behavior, their attendance, any more than it has on anxiety, withdrawal, violence or the feeling of belonging.