French Education Mediator Calls for Enhanced Digital Literacy in 2025 Report

Catherine Becchetti-Bizot, the French mediator for national education and higher education, released her 2025 annual report, “Porter la voix des usagers pour transformer l’École,” emphasizing the urgent need to address systemic inequalities in the digital transition of French schools. The report documents a rising volume of disputes between families and educational institutions, specifically highlighting how digital administrative requirements and unequal access to technology exacerbate social divides. Becchetti-Bizot urges the Ministry of National Education to prioritize human-centric support systems alongside technological integration to ensure that digital tools serve as facilitators rather than barriers to academic success.

Addressing the Digital Divide in Administrative Processes

A central finding in the 2025 report is the friction caused by the mandatory digitization of administrative procedures. According to the mediator, families who lack digital proficiency or reliable internet access often find themselves excluded from critical school communications and enrollment processes. Becchetti-Bizot argues that while digital transformation aims to streamline operations, it has inadvertently created a “digital wall” for vulnerable populations. The report recommends that schools maintain hybrid communication channels, ensuring that those without digital access receive the same information and support as those who are fully connected.

Teacher Support and School Climate

The report also examines the deteriorating school climate, noting a significant increase in reports related to student behavior and teacher-parent conflicts. Becchetti-Bizot identifies a lack of consistent communication as a primary driver of these disputes. By analyzing the caseload handled by her office, the mediator highlights that when schools fail to provide clear, empathetic explanations for administrative or disciplinary decisions, parental frustration escalates rapidly. She calls for reinforced training for school staff to handle mediation and conflict resolution, suggesting that proactive dialogue is essential to maintaining trust between the institution and the families it serves.

Recommendations for Systemic Improvement

To mitigate these ongoing issues, the mediator’s office outlined several concrete proposals for the upcoming academic year:

• Hybrid Administrative Support: Schools must provide physical alternatives for all digital-only administrative tasks to prevent the exclusion of families with limited digital access.
• Mediator Training: Expanding the presence of mediators within academic districts to intervene early in conflicts before they require formal escalation.
• Transparency in Decision-Making: Implementing standardized communication protocols for school administration to ensure parents receive timely and clear justifications for academic and disciplinary changes.
• Digital Literacy Programs: Integrating comprehensive digital literacy training not just for students, but for parents, to bridge the gap in institutional engagement.

Contextualizing the 2025 Findings

The 2025 report serves as a follow-up to previous assessments that highlighted the strain on the French educational system following the rapid, pandemic-era adoption of digital tools. While previous years focused on the necessity of remote learning infrastructure, the current report shifts the focus toward the human consequences of these tools. By documenting specific cases of families unable to register for exams or access grades due to platform errors, Becchetti-Bizot provides a clear evidentiary basis for slowing down the “digital-first” approach in favor of a more inclusive, accessible model that centers the needs of the user above the efficiency of the software.