we explain to you the sanctions already possible today at school

After the latest very serious cases of violence targeting adolescents, the government is raising the possibility of setting up disciplinary councils “very early”. The idea does not excite the teaching unions. Franceinfo takes stock of the types of sanctions that already exist at school.

After the latest attacks, including one fatality, affecting adolescents, the government sends a message of firmness and announces its desire to act “at the first signs”, as spokesperson Prisca Thévenot said on Monday April 8. She notably evokes the idea of ​​a ‘establishment of disciplinary councils” from primary school, an idea already put forward by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal last weekend. To date, these bodies only exist in middle and high schools, but other types of sanctions already exist for the youngest.

At school, when a student does not respect the rules, there are different types of sanctions, but the regulatory texts specify that they must be “educational”. The child must get something out of it, in other words, it could be a deprivation of a particular game in the yard or the elimination of a small moment of playtime. These rules are often discussed together, within a class, and are part of the lessons. There are also sometimes types of “points licenses”, which punish or reward good behavior.

Council of teachers and educational team

If a student poses major problems, several bodies can come together, starting with the teachers’ council: all the teachers in the school discuss the case in question and collectively come up with a response. For the most serious situations, it is the educational team which takes charge: it is then the teachers with the parents and other professionals (school psychologist, social assistance, specialist teachers) who consult together. Except that these agents are very often lacking in schools.

This body looks a lot like a disciplinary council, but without the student. The idea is rather to find a solution to remedy the problem than to punish the child, for example by directing the family towards a care structure, psychological support, or even by working with social services. Because very often, a disruptive student is a child who is not doing well.

Exclusion possible in the most serious cases

If in middle and high schools the strongest sanction consists of exclusion, this is also possible in primary schools but only in the most serious cases. A recent measure also facilitates exclusions in the event of school harassment. The harassing student can be expelled from his school, in agreement with the mayor of the city, but he must then be educated in another, which can pose a problem in rural areas.

Establishing disciplinary councils in schools would therefore have a symbolic aspect, in line with the speeches on the authority of Gabriel Attal and Emmanuel Macron. In any case, if the government goes through with it, there would need to be a regulatory change with a decree to modify the education code.