All Equals at School, for Real?

While the academic performance of young French people is in line with the OECD average, France stands out for having some of the highest social and territorial inequalities. Every year, 100,000 young people leave the school system without a diploma. And yet, our country allocates 6.3% of its GDP to education—a higher effort than the European average. However, more than the level of funding, it is their effectiveness that raises questions in France, as it does elsewhere. Education is the strategic investment of the 21st century. Its economic return is considerable, as highlighted by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman. But its impact goes beyond the economy: it is a crucial lever for public health, social cohesion, and the vitality of our democracies. This session will provide an opportunity to share best practices internationally and the contributions of research to combat educational inequalities. Several priorities emerge: on one hand, the development of socio-behavioral skills—such as perseverance, cooperation, or self-confidence—in which the most disadvantaged students are significantly behind, according to international surveys; on the other hand, teacher training in active, more inclusive, and effective pedagogies. Another major challenge is reducing gender inequalities in scientific fields, an issue of both equity and competitiveness in the age of artificial intelligence.