Education. Supervisor killed: Élisabeth Borne announces a protocol for detecting psychological suffering

"We are working very closely with the Minister of Health [...] to strengthen the detection of young people in difficulty and distress," the Minister of National Education declared this Friday during a press briefing in Saint-Quentin (Aisne), after a visit to a primary school. Élisabeth Borne announced that each establishment will have to equip itself by the end of the year with "a protocol for identifying and managing situations of psychological distress among young people ." She spoke three days after the death of a supervisor stabbed by a 14-year-old middle school student in Nogent (Haute-Marne), a tragedy that shook the educational community.

"If a young person is identified by the National Education system and may have psychological, mental, or even psychiatric problems, there must be some form of fast-tracking to ensure their care, particularly in psychological medical centers," she said. The National Education system can participate in this detection, she continued, but "the care must be provided with the support of all partners in the region."

The government unveiled a plan on Wednesday to better identify and treat mental health disorders, including training two adult reference officers in every secondary school and every primary school district by 2026, and rolling out a national model for early detection and intervention. Regarding human resources, Élisabeth Borne stated that "nearly 50% of school doctor positions" were vacant, acknowledging "an attractiveness issue."

On the other hand, the positions of psychologists, nurses, and social workers are "filled," and the minister wishes to "increase the workforce," a decision that must be taken "as part of the budgetary discussions underway for the 2026 finance bill." This is "something I will champion," she assured.

Alongside this work on mental health, Élisabeth Borne reiterated the need to continue efforts to secure schools. Since the end of March, we have "organized searches in front of schools to prevent weapons from being brought into schools, even though we know there are many bladed weapons circulating among young people," she explained. "We will continue this policy of deterrence with this very clear message: schools must remain a sanctuary, weapons have no place in schools," she insisted.