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LIVING IN FRANCE

EXPLAINED: How parent representative elections work at French schools

If your children are in French schools you will be invited to vote in an election this autumn - here's what you need to know.

Published: 8 September 2023 11:01 CEST
Parents dropping their children off at school
Parents dropping their children off at school. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)

Every year schools, collèges and lycées across France elect parent representatives to ensure the smooth running of individual establishments.

Electronic voting will be possible for the first time in the 2023 elections, which take place at schools nationwide on October 13th and 14th.

Parents are elected on to school councils and boards of governors to ensure representation of parents’ views. The intention is to “establish a real link between families and the school, and build a relationship of trust”.

READ ALSO What to expect if your child is starting school in France

Parents tend to have less contact with schools in France then they do in other countries – in France the philosophy is that teachers teach and parents parent and the roles are quite separate – so the parent representatives forms an official link between home and school.

Elections for parent representative on school, collège and lycée boards before the end of the seventh week of the school year. This year, that’s Friday, October 13th or Saturday, October 14th – earlier in Mayotte and La Réunion, because of their school calendars.

Who can become a parent representative?

To become a parent representative, you must :

  • Have parental authority over a child enrolled in the school where the elections are being held;
  • Be registered on an electoral list (which rules out non-EU citizens, since they are not permitted to vote in France)
  • Once elected, parent representatives can be present at the various school council meetings and are in contact with the members of the educational community.

The electoral list must be sent to the elections office or to the school principal at least 10 days before the elections.

Who can vote?

  • Anyone who has parental authority over a child at school is entitled to vote for a parental representative. French or EU nationality is not required. 
  • Each parent is entitled to a single vote, regardless of the number of children enrolled at the same school.
  • No proxy votes are allowed, and all votes are secret. You can vote at the school on the day of the vote, or by sending in your ballot paper by post before the closing date. This year, electronic voting will be available. Your child’s school will have more detailed information on how this will work.

The elections take place during France’s national School Democracy Week, which raises awareness about the importance of elections.

As well as elections for parents’ representatives on the school council and the board of directors, as well as elections for the council of delegates for student life – which take place from October 9th to October 14th.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Can I use my French carte de séjour for travel?

The carte de séjour is an official document attesting to your right to live in France - but can it be used as a travel document?

Published: 14 May 2024 16:09 CEST
Can I use my French carte de séjour for travel?

Travel within the EU’s Schengen zone is usually a fairly slick business with reduced or no checks as you cross borders – but that doesn’t mean that you can leave your passport at home.

So integrated is the Schengen Area that if you’re travelling by car or train you may not even notice that you’ve crossed a border and entered another country until you start to see signs in a different language – and that’s the intention of the zone of free movement, created in 1995.

But while EU/EEA citizens can move freely within the zone, it’s a different story for non-EU/EEA citizens.

The rules

Borders between countries in the EU/Schengen area still exist and in order to cross an international border you will need a valid travel document – for EU citizens this can be a national ID card, but for non-EU citizens that means a passport.

France’s carte de séjour residency permit is neither of these – it is not a valid travel document and nor is it an ID card (although it can function as proof of ID in non-travel scenarios such as picking up a parcel from the post office). Technically the card is a ‘titre’ – title – which acts as proof of your status as a resident. 

If you try to cross a border without a valid passport you can be turned back.

The carte de séjour acts as proof of your right to live in France and your right to re-enter the country if you have left, so it’s a good idea to have this with you. If you travel without it, you may have your passport stamped as a visitor when you re-enter France. 

If your passport is stamped in error this may cause delays and questions when you next cross a border, but you cannot be penalised or denied entry provided you can show a valid carte de séjour.

On the ground 

As is often the case, there’s a difference between what the rule book says and what happens on the ground, and this is particularly apparent for travel within the Schengen area.

In practice, it’s common to cross a border with no checks at all – although things tend to be stricter if you are travelling by plane.

Cars and trains often pass through with no checks, or with checks when guards will happily accept a carte de séjour.

However checks do happen – sometimes this is in response to a security alert, for example after a terror attack, but sometimes it’s random or when the border police are training their new recruits. We regret to say that there is often an element of racial profiling, so travellers of colour are more likely to be asked to produce their travel documents.

Cars can be pulled over at border checkpoints while if you’re travelling by train, police will often board the train close to the border and check passengers.

If you are asked, you will need to show your passport – so don’t forget to take it within you when travelling within the EU and Schengen zone. 

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