From the start of the 2025 school year, France made an AI literacy module on the PIX digital skills platform compulsory for all secondary school pupils: specifically, students in the final year of lower secondary (before the end of collège) and students in the second year of upper secondary (lycée). The module covers how generative AI works, prompting, data management, and environmental impacts of AI. Duration is 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, with a personalised learning pathway based on initial assessment. The Ministry of National Education published a framework for the use of AI in education in 2025, with ethical considerations — including human oversight, equity, accessibility, and preference for open-source tools — as its stated foundations.
A second, larger initiative under the France 2030 strategy allocates €20 million to develop sovereign, open-source AI tools for teachers, with availability planned for the 2026–2027 school year. President Macron has committed €109 billion to AI development as part of France 2030.
Who it affects: All pupils in lower and upper secondary education in France — a cohort of several million students annually — through the compulsory PIX module. Teachers will benefit from AI-assisted preparation tools from 2026–2027 onwards if the France 2030 AI teacher tools project delivers on schedule.
What is notably missing: The PIX AI module is relatively short (30 minutes to 1.5 hours) and functions as digital skills awareness, not a standalone AI curriculum. It is mandated by ministerial direction rather than a national education law. Teacher training in AI is described by the Inspectorate General as urgent but not yet systematically funded or required at scale. France’s AI governance relies on EU-level regulation (the AI Act) rather than a dedicated national AI regulator.