Training for school staff in Rennes

The City of Rennes has trained 900 permanent agents from its Education and Childhood department in the prevention of ordinary educational violence since June. This initiative is part of a broader municipal plan that includes checks during recruitment and an alert procedure when an agent is under scrutiny. The measures concern adults present every day in schools and after-school care facilities.

Details of the training program

In its presentation of the program published on October 28, the local authority details the training provided to staff and the rules applied when a concerning situation is reported. The measures combine prevention, work organization, and immediate protection of minors.

Target audience of the awareness campaign

The awareness campaign is aimed at professionals who accompany children, as well as maintenance staff, catering staff, and janitors. All may be called upon to observe a difficult situation or intervene in the daily life of an establishment. The trainings focus particularly on gestures and words that could harm a child, including those that have long been normalized in educational practices.

Broader scope of the program

The City includes these sessions in a program that also covers sexual and gender-based violence, bullying, and the development of psychosocial skills. New animators participate in training on child protection. Specific interventions are planned, including with the association STOP VEO, which is committed to combating ordinary educational violence.

New roles in Rennes schools

Since September 2025, each of the 89 public schools has a site educational manager. This agent supports municipal teams, ensures the welcoming environment for children, and works with the school administration when a difficulty arises.

Background checks for staff in child care

For staff working in collective child care facilities, the local authority declares the hiring in order to allow the State to perform the required checks. These include the bulletin n° 2 of the criminal record and the file of perpetrators of sexual or violent offenses. This check takes place before the concerned functions are performed.

Response to reports of violence

The municipal procedure provides for an immediate response when a child or parent reports serious sexual or educational violence that may have been committed by an agent. The concerned agent is suspended provisionally, a report is sent without delay to the prosecutor of the Republic, and the families of the school are informed. The suspension is a protective measure, distinct from a decision on the criminal liability of the person under scrutiny.

Prevention through student engagement

Prevention also involves dialogue with students. In the Bréquigny neighborhood, the project "Bullying, it's STOP" led to artistic work with CM2 and sixth-grade students in 2025. A video from this initiative is now used as a resource to address school bullying and cyberbullying.

Support for victims and witnesses

A parent, a child, or a witness concerned about a maltreatment situation can call the 119, a free and confidential number accessible 24 hours a day. Reports can also be submitted to the departmental child protection services. The national service also offers a chat for minors and an online form for adults.

Emergency contacts for urgent situations

In the presence of a serious and immediate danger, emergency services remain the contacts to call: police or gendarmerie at 17, or the European number 112. The national 119 service guidelines distinguish these emergencies from situations requiring listening and assessment by child protection professionals.

Ongoing implementation of the program

In Rennes, the municipal program thus covers both adult training, follow-up in institutions, and the handling of alerts concerning its staff. Its implementation continues with the trainings planned in the action plan, beyond the sessions already carried out since June.