The 2026-2027 school year begins with concrete changes in French classrooms. Between a national framework on artificial intelligence, new European training requirements, and PISA results that raise questions, the educational world is undergoing a period of rapid transformation. Here are the trends reshaping school and training in France.
A national framework for AI in the classroom: what changes by school level
Since June 2025, the National Education has a national framework for the use of generative AI for students and teachers. This framework distinguishes two things: awareness of how AI works and the autonomous use of tools like ChatGPT.
In primary school, students can discover what artificial intelligence is, but without creating an account on a public tool. The idea is to explain the mechanism without exposing young children to interfaces designed for adults.
Starting from the 4th grade, the use of generative AI becomes possible. A strict condition applies: the teacher defines and supervises each educational activity. The tool never replaces human decision-making. In high school, more autonomous use is permitted as long as it remains within an explicit learning framework.
This threshold set at the 4th grade provides a clear reference for educational teams, who previously lacked precise guidelines. To keep up with these developments on a daily basis, specialized media like echosdecole.fr regularly relay decisions affecting school life.
AI Act and training obligation for AI: what Europe mandates starting in 2025
You have heard about the European regulation on artificial intelligence, the famous AI Act? Its article 4 directly concerns the education sector. It requires any organization deploying or using an AI system to ensure a sufficient level of AI proficiency among its staff.
In practical terms, this means that schools and training organizations must train their teams. Not just technology or computer science teachers, but all staff in contact with these tools.
This obligation has been gradually implemented. It is not limited to the private sector or tech companies. Schools, colleges, and high schools that integrate AI tools into their practices are affected. The issue of teacher training, often relegated to the background, is now a European regulatory subject.
What this implies for French teachers
The Ministry of National Education must organize suitable training pathways. Training teachers in AI is no longer an option; it is a European legal obligation. Academies are beginning to structure modules, but deployment remains uneven across regions.
- Every teacher using an AI tool in the classroom must understand its functioning, biases, and limitations.
- School heads are responsible for ensuring that this level of competence is achieved within their teams.
- Continuing education organizations must integrate AI into their catalogs, under penalty of non-compliance with the European regulation.
PISA 2025 results: a shared decline across the OECD
The PISA 2025 survey, conducted by the OECD, confirms a significant trend: student results are declining in most OECD countries, not just in France. This shared observation does not absolve anyone, but it changes the usual reading of the “French dropout.”
France is part of this common dynamic. The ministry speaks of a “continuing recovery,” implying that recent measures (strengthening fundamentals, class reductions in priority education) have not yet produced all their effects.
PISA measures the school use of AI for the first time
Notably, the 2025 edition of PISA includes indicators on the use of artificial intelligence in the school context for the first time. This marks a turning point in the international evaluation of educational systems. We are no longer just measuring reading or mathematics, but also the capacity of educational systems to integrate next-generation digital tools.
Stricter grading criteria for language proficiency in the 2027 exams
Alongside digital skills, another strong focus is on proficiency in French. The ministry has announced new grading criteria for language proficiency in all exams for the 2027 session. Spelling, syntax, and the quality of written expression will carry more weight in grading.
This measure affects the diploma, the baccalaureate, and professional exams. It reflects a shared observation by many teachers: the quality of writing is declining, even in post-baccalaureate programs. All subjects are concerned, not just French: a poorly written history or science paper will also be penalized.
This tightening has sparked a debate. Some see it as a positive signal for the revaluation of writing. Others worry about penalizing students from backgrounds where linguistic norms are less practiced at home.
What these trends suggest for the upcoming school year and beyond
The French educational world finds itself at the intersection of two movements. On one side, the accelerated integration of AI, framed by national and European texts. On the other, a return to fundamental requirements regarding written language and basic knowledge measured by PISA.
The challenge is not to choose between digital and fundamentals, but to train teachers capable of navigating between the two. The coming months will show whether resources align with the stated ambitions.
