The Conservative Backlash Against Sex Education

It hasn’t been released yet, but it’s already hotly contested. AN emotional, relational and sexual life education programwhich must be presented in mid-December to the Higher Education Council before it is officially published, facing a major conservative backlash. According to family associations, elected officials and the media, from the extreme right or the extreme right, the most recent version of the text would “ideology” and printed by a “wake activity”. References to gender stereotypes and gender identity have no place, in particular, in school, believing in particular the Union of the Family (previously Manif pour tous) and SOS Education. On the other hand, all teaching unions and associations ban judge the latest copy of the program to meet the challenges.

But the protesting minority could push the government back: lThe Minister for Academic Success, Alexandre Portier (LR), assured, Wednesday 27 November, what “This program, in its current form, is not acceptable” etc “needs review”. Yes, the Minister of Education, Anne Genetet, rearrange his partner on Thursdayclaiming that “there is no gender theory in this program”, specific references related to it “Gender Identity” in the text rue de Grenelle could be deleted, according to our information, even if nothing is definitive.

Franceinfo takes a look back at the origins of this sexuality education program and explains the reasons for the controversy that was difficult to control with the ministry.

A program promised by Pap Ndiaye to make the 2001 law effective

Since 2001, the obligation to provide sexuality education has been included in the law, which provides “at least three annual sessions” in schools, colleges and high schools. Article L312-16 of the Education Code specifies that “These sessions present a balanced view of relationships between women and men.. But in reality, the law is poorly enforced. To that extent “less than 15% of students” benefit from these sessions, according to report from the Inspector General of Educationreleased in 2021.

The reasons are on the one hand the lack of teacher training, on the other hand the lack of a national framework. “Since the entire subject is not in the syllabus, perhaps you can skip through this subject”, Bruno Bobkiewicz, principal and general secretary of SNPDEN-Unsa, explained to franceinfo at the beginning of October.

To compensate for this second flaw, Pap Ndiaye, who was then the Minister of National Education, promised in June 2023 the development of a school program on education for emotional life and sexuality. A mission entrusted to the Higher Program Council, which she was responsible for developing “for each level of education (…) the topics and concepts to be addressed”. The first version of the program was published in March last year, before the second, more complete version in mid-November.

An almost finished version of the text has been criticized by conservation groups

This latest version, which is not final, worries the most conservative parents’ associations. They have been moving for several weeks to push the ministry back, mainly through petitions. Among the prosecution groups, SOS Education believes that “l‘Sex education has no place in school’. The Family Union, which is not opposed to the existence of a program, denies the procedure “ideological, negative, hygienic, detailed and suggestive”, or even “a brain that wants sex and entrepreneur”. In the farthest media too A wind of panic blows. The topic made the front page of JDD last weekend, with this question: “Children in danger?”

The project, consulted by franceinfo, really centered on emotional and relational life in kindergarten and elementary school, and includes sexuality from middle school on. On November 19, the Minister of Education himself praised this program on CNews and Europe 1, ensuring that “very advanced” etc “well in order”and that he would teach “simple things”.

For little ones, it’s about knowing your body and being aware of privacy, then identifying dangerous situations and finding out about the different family structures (heteroparenting, same-sex parenting, single parenting , etc.). In CE2, the idea of ​​consent appears. From CM1, bullying, puberty, but also “stereotypes to fight discrimination”. From CM2, children must learn to identify gender and sexual violence in order to protect themselves from it.

In middle school, the program becomes more ambitious in terms of gender education, with, in fifth grade, identifying “What’s involved in biological sex determination, gender and sexual orientation”. From the fourth place, health, with the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, is one of the priorities. The methods of control are also mentioned in the third place. In high school, the emphasis is on intimacy in the age of social media and the freedom to be yourself.

The ministry begins a retreat

While the Ministry of National Education seemed to be firm in its positions until now, Alexandre Portier has shaken the balance. Creating in turn “important sources” on the current version of the project, the Minister for Academic Success assured on Wednesday, during questions to the government in the Senate, that “This program is not acceptable as it is“et “needs review”. He said he was “personally pledge to ensure that gender theory finds no place in our schools”in response to General LR Max Brisson who requested that the text be “edited” from “all signs of wokism”.

In a WhatsApp loop dedicated to the press, the office of Anne Genetet hastened to confirm on Wednesday evening “alignment” the minister with the words of her husband. That is, specifying those around him, that “l“Gender theory has no place in school”that a “keep a very strict watch on all speakers who deal with this subject” and one “better consideration of student development in programs”. According to this same source, the ministry therefore “made changes to the program that will be presented in mid-December” to the Higher Education Council.

There is a concept “genre theory” regularly identified by the far right, including Eric Zemmour, who use it to express a stated ideology to attack society and aim to create confusion between identities and sex. When she was on a trip to Marcq-en-Baroeul (North) on Thursday, Anne Genetet put in her hi. “There is no gender theory, and it is not in the program, she asked. This program, I pilot it, and the line of this program is the line of the ministry, there is no gender theory in this program. “

Regarding the changes made to the program, the expression “Gender Identity”which was repeated 17 times in the last version, to be deleted by the ministry, franceinfo learned, but everything does not seem to be resolved yet.

Teachers unions and associations prevent in misunderstanding

The teachers’ unions are unanimous in saying that the program must remain as it is. “It is a problem to give a soundtrack to dangerous small groups, which threaten what we do in school,” considers Sophie Vénétiay, secretary general of Snes-FSU, speaking to franceinfo. According to her, a “educational objective” and of “very important prevention”. Groups like the Family Planning, Sidaction and the Independent Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence against Children (Ciivise) are also urging the government not to empty the program of its content.

This smear campaign and the text may be rejected remembering the session of “ABCD equality”. In June 2014, the Department of National Education gave up, after a year of trials, on normalizing this work aimed at combating girl-boy stereotypes. At the time, she had been accused by circles traditionalists to multiply… the “genre theory”.