outfit, price, duration… We reveal the content of the experiment desired by the Ministry of National Education

The experiment should begin in September 2024, at the start of the school year, or even in the spring for the most “motivated” communities, according to the ministry.

Gabriel Attal is preparing to launch an experiment on the uniform, as he announced Wednesday December 6 on franceinfo. The government wants to test the unique outfit in some of France’s schools, colleges and high schools, where communities volunteer. The Minister of National Education must detail the outlines of this measure at the end of the week, but franceinfo reveals the government’s first ideas.

The experiment should begin in September 2024, at the start of the school year, or even in the spring for the most “motivated”, according to the ministry. Among them, the cities of Tourcoing, Reims, Nice, and Perpignan, the departments of Allier and Alpes-Maritimes and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, among others. The number of testing establishments is limited, since the measure will be partly financed by the State.

A unique outfit, but customizable locally

Each family concerned will receive five polo shirts, two sweaters and two pants per child, according to information communicated by the ministry to the local authorities in question. This kit will cost 200 euros, but families will not have to pay anything. The preferred path is that of half funding by the State, half by the town hall, the department or the voluntary region.

The outfit will be the same everywhere in France, but it will be possible to personalize it locally, with a badge for example. Each child will be entitled to a new change of clothing per year, according to the local authorities interviewed by franceinfo, if the model becomes too short or if it is damaged, for example.

However, several questions remain to be resolved: will girls and boys, for example, have exactly the same model? Will there be skirts or Bermuda shorts for summer? Does the trousseau contain a sports outfit? There was also talk of a blouse, or an apron, for the little ones, in kindergarten, but will the entire outfit be compulsory from a very young age, at school, or only the top ? All this must still be very clear in the coming days.

A two-year experiment

For the moment, the Ministry of Education has selected several French service providers to sew the clothes, but the community should have the last word on the manufacturer, since it is they who will place the order. Before launching, each establishment must validate the project by the board of directors or school council to include the measure in the internal regulations.

The experiment should last two years, with scientific monitoring, an evaluation of the school climate, the results and the atmosphere in class, promises Gabriel Attal.