What punishments are French teachers allowed to hand out?
Some offences are recorded on a student’s academic record
More severe penalties include exclusions from the classroom or the entire school for up to eight days, or being fully expelled from the establishment.
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Reader question: Are teachers in France strict with giving punishments? What are the types that they can give?
Corporal punishment of children has been officially banned since 2019, though in practice ceased to be carried out in schools much earlier than this. However, schools can still penalise children for bad behaviour.
A minor breach of rules for something such as forgetting school supplies or homework will be written in the child’s carnet de correspondance, which a parent must sign to acknowledge their child’s error.
Other minor punishments are also noted in the carnet and they cannot be appealed by parent or child, but are not included on a child’s academic file (dossier scolaire).
This can include detention, a public apology or additional homework. A child may also be sent out of the classroom, in which case they should do homework in another part of the school.
Grades can never be reduced as a penalty for a breach of rules, nor can collective punishments be handed out for one student’s actions.
Another form of punishment is “preventative” acts, such as confiscation of potentially dangerous items.
Sanctions
The most serious misdemeanours see punishments, referred to as sanctions, that are recorded on a student’s academic file.
They are often given out for cases of verbal or physical violence against other pupils or teachers, repeated breaches of rules, or damage to property.
These include:
A formal warning (avertissement)
An official written note of disapproval (blâme)
Requirement to undertake extra educational sessions or community service aimed at awareness
More severe penalties include exclusions from the classroom or the entire school for up to eight days, or being fully expelled from the establishment.
All of these, with the exception of full expulsion, can be removed from the student’s academic record within one to two years if they show good behaviour.
Exclusions and expulsions can also be given avec sursis, as a ‘suspended’ punishment, ie. not executed unless there is a further repetition of bad behaviour.
