Since the start of the 2024 school year, France has been experimenting with the Pôles d'Appui à la Scolarité (PAS), specialized teams designed to support students with special educational needs. These teams, initially implemented in regions like Eure-et-Loir, have shown promising results.
The PAS consist of specialized teachers and medico-social staff who work directly within schools to assist students facing difficulties. For instance, a 6-year-old boy named Raphaël, who was previously excluded from the school cafeteria, now benefits from personalized support, including a behavioral contract and visual tools. This has led to significant improvements in his behavior and participation.
Another student, Léo, a CE2 student struggling with violent behavior, has benefited from anger management workshops provided by the PAS. The government plans to expand the program to 400 PAS for the 2025 school year, with further expansion planned to additional regions. The initiative aims to provide a more responsive and integrated support system within schools to address the needs of students with disabilities.
The government aims to generalize PAS across the country by the 2027 school year. However, a bill aimed at facilitating this expansion faced obstacles in July 2025, as deputies and senators failed to agree on a common version. The government plans to re-evaluate the system in the 2025 school year before finding a legislative path for its generalization in 2027.