A recent report reveals how unchecked and unassimilated immigration is undermining the French education system.
French schools are encountering severe difficulties. A new study from the Observatory of Immigration and Demography (OID), released this week, exposes the significant challenges immigration poses to education. Joachim Le Floch-Imad, a teacher and author of the report, concludes that “immigration is not the primary cause of our schools’ problems, but it exacerbates all of their difficulties.”
France’s population dynamics have drastically shifted, creating immense strain on educators, classrooms, and the school system’s core objectives. In 2024, 31% of newborns had at least one parent born outside the EU, with births to parents both born outside the EU rising by 74% since 2000. Presently, 40% of children under four come from migrant or migrant-background families, and over 20% of nine- and ten-year-olds in fourth grade speak a language other than French at home.
The report highlights that these students are concentrated in éducation prioritaire schools (REP and REP+), a government effort transferring additional funds to disadvantaged institutions. These already struggling schools are overwhelmed by the vast linguistic and cultural variety they must accommodate. Educators describe heavy workloads and an increasing number of pupils arriving without any or minimal French language skills.
The impact is tangible. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which evaluates 15-year-olds’ academic performance across OECD nations, expects an average score of 500 points. France has consistently declined in literacy and numeracy rankings. Across 73% of 92 countries analyzed, “students from immigrant backgrounds score lower in mathematics than native-born students” by an average of 29 points. In France, this gap widens considerably: immigrant-background students score 47 points less, and first-generation immigrants lag by 60 points—equivalent to about eighteen months of schooling. Importantly, OID emphasizes that these disparities persist even after accounting for social class, with similarly situated pupils from immigrant families trailing peers by roughly 17 points.
The 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) results are even more grim for France. Nine- and ten-year-old French children ranked last in mathematics among European Union member states, placing somewhere between Kazakhstan and Montenegro in the full OECD comparison. Literacy levels offer no improvement; the 2021 PIRLS study positioned French students 16th out of 19 European countries. National yearly evaluations confirm this decline, revealing fewer than half of ninth graders (aged 14-15) possess satisfactory skills in French and math.
Le Floch-Imad, speaking to Valeurs Actuelles, attributes France’s specific immigration woes to the nature of its immigrant population. “If, in France, immigration has a greater downward pressure on the average level than elsewhere in the OECD, it is primarily because our country receives a larger influx of immigrants from outside Europe, often with lower levels of education, fewer qualifications, and from more vulnerable socioeconomic backgrounds, particularly from North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.”
The problem is worsened by a widespread unwillingness to openly discuss these realities. Despite the dire state of education, public debates largely avoid linking academic struggles to growing immigrant populations. Le Floch-Imad points out that immigration’s influence on education is still a “blind spot” in discussions, even while over 75% of the French population favors tighter immigration policies. Official educational rhetoric continues to emphasize immigration as an ‘opportunity’ for enrichment, celebrating cultural diversity while neglecting how large-scale arrivals from outside Europe deepen the systemic crisis. The report calls for confronting these facts honestly but stresses the importance of avoiding stigmatization of individual children.
Fear of accusations such as ‘racist,’ ‘xenophobic,’ or ‘Islamophobic’ appears to dampen frank conversations. Teachers hesitate to highlight that many newcomers, and even some multi-generational immigrant families, show resistance to integration, perpetuating a cycle of failure. This silence benefits Islamist actors, who increasingly influence the French education system. The OID report describes schools as “strategic targets” for radicals seeking to impose their political and cultural agendas, fuel youth resentment, and undermine society. A state-commissioned investigation into the Muslim Brotherhood earlier this year confirms these concerns, warning about a long-term strategy of “entryism” into French institutions. Islamists exploit organizations, mosques, and schools to disseminate political Islam and erode secular principles. Education has been identified as a key focus area, with multiple schools and networks linked to these influences.
Studies indicate such beliefs are becoming entrenched among youth. Among secondary school students, 65% of Muslims reportedly prioritize religious laws over French Republic laws, contrasting with 30% among Catholics. Muslim youth increasingly opt for religious interpretations rather than scientific explanations. A recent survey found that 81% of Muslims aged 18 to 24 believe that “when religion and science disagree on the question of the creation of the world,” religion is “usually right.”
This environment fosters ethnic tensions and conflict within schools. A poll conducted earlier this year found that 16% of students overall would refuse friendships with Jewish classmates, with the figure rising to 52% for pupils with parents born outside Europe. Even more alarming, 71% of students who had witnessed antisemitic violence and whose parents came from outside Europe viewed such acts positively. The normalization of such views underscores that France’s challenges extend beyond academic shortcomings; poor integration threatens societal cohesion.
France cannot continue to ignore these issues. The fundamental role of public education is to pass down the nation’s values, history, language, and shared knowledge. Current uncontrolled and largely unassimilated immigration means schools fail to fulfill even this basic responsibility. The OID report serves as a crucial warning for France and Europe alike. This matter will not resolve itself and is likely to deteriorate further before improvement is possible.
Original article: europeanconservative.com
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