Global Defense and Security Classes: A Growing Controversy in France

Officially established in 2016, “global defense and security classes” have become a “ministerial priority” in recent months to train “responsible and engaged citizens”. Despite great success, the program raises questions among some parents and teachers.

It is a program that is gaining momentum in the country each year: the “global defense and security classes”. Officially established in 2016, this program has become a major issue for Emmanuel Macron and the government given the global geopolitical context. With events like the invasion of Ukraine, wars in the Middle East, and tensions around Greenland, the national education system has made it a “ministerial priority” to train “responsible and engaged citizens in a complex and unstable world”.

“There is a very serious problem in France and Europe,” believes former officer Guillaume Ancel, who fully supports this project, as a guest on Morning Le Supplément. “Only 3% of the population has a military culture. This does not mean wanting to take up arms and fight against others.”

A Resounding Success

Concretely, these classes, set up at the initiative of middle schools and high schools, allow for meetings and exchanges with a military unit throughout the year. Over the past decade, the number of participants has multiplied by ten. In total, 1,200 classes and 32,000 students are participating in the program for the 2025-2026 school year and will take part in ceremonies – such as the commemorations of May 8 – or visits to bases and memorial sites with the partner military unit.

“The students listen, they are focused on what is asked of them, they are fully involved and excel,” rejoices Catherine Noël, a teacher in a middle school in Marne, speaking to RMC. Faced with the lack of motivation of her students for traditional subjects, this technology teacher decided to organize a drone demonstration by the military to make her classes more engaging.

“There is a total difference between what the military offer us and what we offer to the students,” she adds.

Fear of “Indoctrination”

But behind this overall positive experience lies a growing concern among many parents and teachers: the potential “indoctrination” towards the military path and the dangers it may involve.

Specific cases raise questions on this issue, such as in Dijon, where a family learned at the beginning of the school year that their 8th-grade child was part of a defense class. The activities proposed sparked anger among the parents.

“We realized that it was not an option,” says Virginie, the student’s mother. “We tried to find out what it was, and that’s when we discovered workshops where students are encouraged to dress up as riot police officers to learn how to deal with hostile demonstrators.”

This workshop was conducted with gendarmes from Dijon, who supervised the students from several defense classes in the department for a day. Since January, at her request, her son no longer participates in the activities.

Activities That Raise Questions for Some Parents and Teachers

In Moselle, soldiers also offered a laser shooting session in a high school. In the images posted on social media, students lying in a gymnasium are training to shoot under the supervision of soldiers in uniform. Contacted by RMC, the Ministry of Education explains that it is simply “sport shooting”.

But in the same school, soldiers also presented their armored vehicle in the courtyard. “It is a common practice to introduce students to the army,” the ministry further justifies. However, some members of the academy denounce a glorification of armaments and the presentation of military exercises as a “game”.

“When we do weapon demonstrations with soldiers in uniform and military vehicles, it doesn’t give the impression that it’s sporty and fun,” says a teacher from the Nancy-Metz academy.

“It raises questions about the role of the school and the mix of genres perpetuated.”

“It’s their job,” defends Guillaume Ancel. “It’s like presenting firefighters while saying that we must not talk about fire because it could scare children. We are in a state of advanced ignorance.”

According to him, “97% of the population understands nothing when it comes to talking about war”, and these classes aim to educate students about military functioning from a young age.

In any case, these classes are now intended to continue to multiply in the future. Several teachers have confided in RMC that they were forced to set up a “defense class” in order to organize outings, as school budgets are too low. In the context of trips, transportation costs are covered by the army.

Emmanuel Macron also announced that the duration of the classes will now extend to three years instead of one. But this will not be the case everywhere: each academy will have the power to make its choice locally, as specified by the Ministry of Education to RMC.