Catholic Schools Express Concerns Over New National Sexuality Education Program
Paris,france – September 24,2025 – A new national program mandating three annual sessions of education in emotional,relational life and sexuality (Evars) for all students,from kindergarten through final year,is facing scrutiny from within France’s Catholic education network. The program, officially implemented this school year in both public and private contracted schools, aims to provide standardized instruction on these sensitive topics. However, concerns are mounting that Catholic schools, representing 96% of the private institutions operating under contract with the state, may attempt to adapt the curriculum to align with their religious teachings.
the FEP-CFDT, the leading union for private teachers, first raised the alarm. The union shares concerns with the public sector regarding insufficient staffing and delayed, inadequate teacher training, possibly hindering the effective delivery of the already-long-mandated (since 2001, though rarely enforced) Evars sessions.
Though,the FEP-CFDT’s primary worry centers on the potential for Catholic schools to reinterpret the program. valérie Ginet, the union’s secretary general, expressed fears that schools will seek to “interpret, accommodate, even misguide Evars’s program so that it is integrated into Christian anthropology,” citing the network’s “singular character.”
This concern highlights a potential clash between the national curriculum’s objectives and the Catholic education system’s commitment to its own pedagogical approach. While the program is officially compulsory, the extent to which it will be implemented uniformly across all schools remains uncertain. The situation is developing as the school year progresses, and further details are behind a paywall.
