Education is an issue whose importance is widely recognized, but which is perceived as absent from the public debate. 88% of French people—including 38% who say “definitely”—want it to be one of the future president’s top priorities. However, three-quarters (75%) believe that issues related to education are not sufficiently represented or emphasized in public debate. It is worth noting that two-thirds of those under 35 (62%) share this view, compared to 84% of those 65 and older.
Equal opportunity through education remains a widely held belief: 52% of French people believe that schools still provide it, while 47% believe they do not. Above all, strong convictions are evenly split: only 11% “strongly agree” that schools still make equal opportunity possible, compared to 12% who “strongly disagree,” so opinions on this subject are not deeply rooted and are likely to shift in response to current events. Finally, 60% of those under 35 still believe that schools provide equal opportunities, compared to 47% of those 65 and older—as if distance from the school system fueled pessimism.
Three factors account for the loss of confidence in the school system: declining academic standards and expectations (43%), the lack of human and material resources allocated to schools (42%), and the lack of support for teachers in terms of authority and the presence of disruptive students (42%). Next is the instability caused by successive reforms (31%), followed—cited by about one in five French people—by the increasing number of responsibilities placed on schools, violence among children and against children, teacher training, and the lack of social recognition and adequate pay for teachers. In short, the French subscribe to the narrative of schools being held back: mounting responsibilities, constant reorganizations, and teachers who are left to fend for themselves, inadequately trained, with limited resources, and undervalued; and these multiple factors prevent schools from effectively fulfilling their missions, which is the main source of mistrust. A system that lacks resources is more than just poorly designed: school schedules (18%), excessive centralization (12%), and regional disparities (11%) round out the list of concerns, particularly in rural areas. There is also a generational divide: while older people are more likely to cite a lack of authority (63% of those aged 65 and older vs. 28% of those under 35), younger people are more likely to point to a lack of resources (48% versus 39% among those 65 and older) and, to a slightly lesser extent, declining academic standards (32% versus 48%).
Nearly half of the French public supports two reforms: refocusing elementary school curricula on core skills (48%) and reducing class sizes (47%). However, these two proposals do not enjoy the same level of support across different groups; the refocusing on core skills is supported by those aged 65 and older (56%) and right-wing supporters (62%), and significantly less so by those under 35 (32%) and left-wing supporters (41%). Reducing class sizes, on the other hand, is more of a priority for left-wing supporters (59%). Older adults also stand out for their stronger interest in career guidance beginning in 8th grade (39%), the creation of specialized programs for students who commit acts of violence (34%), and greater autonomy for school principals (25%). Conversely, those under 35 are calling for transformation and additional resources: they are four times more likely to demand the development of innovative schools and teaching methods (25% versus 6% of those aged 65 and older), three times as many call for the integration of digital technology and AI (16% versus 5%), and they are also more in favor of increasing teachers’ salaries (28% versus 21% on average). To put it bluntly: restore the old-style school system for older adults, and modernize it for young people.
If “allocating priority education resources based on academic challenges” were to rank as the fourth priority reform at 28%, this would ultimately mean that 76% of French people support the idea that resources for priority education should no longer be directed specifically toward QPVs but instead allocated to schools facing the greatest academic challenges. However, the percentage of those with firm opinions—“yes, strongly in favor”—stands at 15%, a foundation that needs to be clarified and consolidated as the project is presented.
