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Citizens’ Convention Unveils 20 Proposals to Overhaul School Rhythms in France

The advisory package now moves to the government, with any 2026 rollout dependent on political and local decisions.

Overview

  • After six months of work, about 130 randomly selected citizens finalized a 74-page report on Sunday and will transmit it to the executive, with presentations to Parliament in January and to local officials ahead of the March municipal elections.
  • The recommendations call for five full days of school each week starting in elementary school to spread learning more evenly, a notable shift as roughly 90% of communes currently operate on four days.
  • For collèges and lycées, the report proposes classes starting no earlier than 9:00 a.m., 45‑minute periods, theoretical subjects in the morning, practical teaching in the afternoon, and extracurriculars from around 3:30 p.m.
  • The plan keeps the current total of 16 weeks of school holidays but reduces break zones from three to two and regroups the February and Easter vacations, steering toward a pattern of about seven weeks of classes followed by two weeks off.
  • Citing concerns over sleep and anxiety among adolescents, the citizens also recommend banning social networks for under‑15s and prohibiting mobile phones until middle school.