School Educational Board
The School Educational Board is the main governing body of the institution for anything academics and its organisation. Responsible for primary education, secondary education, and, where applicable, post-baccalaureate classes.
Duties
The budget and finances of accredited institutions in the AEFE network, as well as the strategic directions of the school, are well inquired and discussed during the School Education Board meetings. It is responsible for all matters related to the educational and pedagogical issues of the institution. It creates and passes the school internal rules and regulations. It cannot replace the management of the AEFE or the School Management Board in areas that are specific to them.
Based on prepared work reported and presented by the Principal, the Educational Board :
1. Adopts: The School Strategic Plan, based on the proposal of the Primary and Secondary School Councils; the School internal rules and regulations after consulting the preliminary bodies ( Primary and Secondary School Councils, and Student Life Representatives Council ); the school schedule and the school year calendar; the annual plan for school course choices and guidance; the on-going professional development and in-house training plan for the establishment’s staff in all its components and based on the proposal of the staff training committee; the annual action plan for the School-Middle school council; the annual action plan to prevent all forms of violence, discrimination, and harassment; the annual action plan for sustainable development and citizenship education.
2. Gives an opinion formed by a vote on: The school staff employment plan (creation, elimination, and changes to positions); proposals for changes to the pedagogical structures;
the activities program for the sports association, if it exists;
the activities program for other associations and clubs operating within the school, taking into account temporary occupancy permits for the premises; issues related to hygiene and safety for the entire school community; issues concerning hygiene, safety, and working conditions for the staff; issues related to parents reception, information provided to them, and the general conditions of their participation in school life; the planning and funding of school trips; the organisation of educational life; special tasks assigned to staff after presentation to the teaching council; the reception and support provided to students with special educational needs; school catering.
The school specific safety plan (PPMS) is presented for information to the Educational Board.
A report on pedagogical operations and functions and a progress report on the School Strategic plan are presented every year to the Educational Board by the Principal.
The School Educational Board may, by its own initiative or at the request of the Principal, provide an opinion on any issue concerning school/institution life.
Configuration
The Educational Board is chaired by the principal or, in case of absence, by their deputy (or the deputy designated by the principal in case of multiple deputies). The Educational Board includes, under the following roles:
Members with voting rights:
- Members of the administration
– The head of the diplomatic mission or their representative;
– The principal;
– The principal deputy or deputies;
– The administrative and financial director or the secretary-general;
– The school most senior education counselor;
– The Primary Scholl director or directors;
- Representatives of the teaching and educational staff, as well as the administrative and service staff
- Parents representatives and secondary school students
Chairing members with advisory roles:
– The French Consul or their representative;
– The consular advisors of the relevant district;
– The secondary accounting officer;
– The vice-president of the Student Council;
– Two local figures chosen for their expertise in the social, economic, and cultural fields, based on the principal’s proposal;
– The president of the alumni association or their representative;
– Two representatives from the School Management Board or board of directors of managing instances in AEFE accredited institutions;
– The director of studies or the coordinator of national education programs, if applicable, when the position exists;
– The appointed coordinator of the AEFE management, when the position exists;
-The deputy administrative and financial director, when the position exists.
- School administration (ex officio members): 5 seats
- Teaching Staff: 4 seats
- Administrative and Service Staff: 1 seat
- Parents Representatives: 3 seats
- Students: 2 seats
How it operates
Frequency
The School Educational Board meets in an ordinary session at the initiative of the principal at least once per trimester. It may also be reconvened in an extraordinary session at the request of the head of the diplomatic mission or their representative, the principal, or at least half of its voting members, with a specific agenda.
Summons
The school principal sets the dates and times of the meetings. He sends the invitations along with the proposed agenda and preparatory documents at least eight full days in advance. In case of urgency, this period may be reduced to one day. Based on the agenda, the president may invite any person whose contribution is deemed useful.
Quorum
The Educational Board can only hold a valid meeting if the number of members present at the beginning of the session is greater than half of the members with voting rights who make up the council. If this quorum is not reached, the Board is called for a new meeting, which must take place within a minimum of five days and a maximum of eight days; the meeting will then be valid regardless of the number of members present. In case of urgency, this period may be reduced to three days.
Agenda
The agenda is established by the principal after the inclusion of questions that were requested beforehand and is adopted at the beginning of the session.
Minutes
At the beginning of each session, the president organises the appointment of a session secretary (a member of the administration) and an assistant secretary. The latter is chosen alternately from among the staff representatives and the parents representatives. The minutes, prepared under the responsibility of the principal, are sent to the board members, AEFE, and other relevant entities of the institution (school). They are adopted at the opening of the following session, displayed within the school premises for a period of four months, and posted on the website. The members of the educational community are informed of the availability of the minutes.
Secret Ballot Vote
The secret ballot is mandatory whenever a member of the council requests it. Board members are required to maintain confidentiality. In the event of a tie, the vote of the president of the Educational Board is decisive.
The Pedagogical Council
Configuration and Appointment of Members
The Pedagogical Council, chaired by the principal, includes at least:
- One lead teacher per educational level.
- One teacher per subject area.
- One principal education advisor (CPE).
After consulting the relevant teaching teams, the principal appoints the members of the Pedagogical Council and potential substitutes at the beginning of the school year, ensuring fair representation across disciplines and levels.
The Educational Board is informed of these appointments at the next meeting.
The composition of the Pedagogical Council is made public to the educational community through official posting.
The council’s chairperson may invite any person deemed relevant based on the topics discussed and the school specific needs.
How it operates
The Pedagogical Council is chaired by the principal or, in case of absence or unavailability, by one of their deputies.
The chairperson sets the agenda, as well as the dates and times of the council meetings.
Members of the Pedagogical Council are convened at least eight days before the meeting. In urgent cases, this notice period may be reduced to three days.
The Pedagogical Council meets at least three times per year and as needed, either at the initiative of its chairperson or at the request of the majority of its members.
The Pedagogical Council can only deliberate legitimately if the number of members present at the beginning of the session constitutes a majority of its total membership. If this quorum is not met, the council is reconvened no sooner than the following day and no later than before the next Educational Board meeting. During this second meeting, the council may validly deliberate regardless of the number of members present.
The Pedagogical Council prepares a meeting report, which is then communicated to the Educational Board.
Principles
A disciplinary council is established in institutions offering secondary education and, if necessary, separate councils for middle school and high school.
The principal is responsible for determining whether to initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student.
If the principal receives a written request from a member of the school community to convene the disciplinary council but decides not to proceed, they must provide a reasoned written notification of their decision.
The principal may, in exceptional cases, decide to hold the disciplinary council in a different location to address specific local circumstances.
In accordance with local regulations, the internal rules establish the possible sanctions that may be imposed on students, which can include:
1. Warning (Avertissement)
2. Reprimand (Blâme)
3. Temporary exclusion (Exclusion temporaire) from the school or one of its associated services, for a maximum of eight days
4. Permanent exclusion (Exclusion définitive) from the school or one of its associated services
The choice of sanction must be proportionate to the offense committed. Sanctions may be accompanied by a full or partial suspension (sursis). If the suspension is revoked, the disciplinary council must be reconvened.
All sanctions—except for permanent exclusion—are removed from the student’s administrative record after one year.
The internal regulations may also include support measures, prevention strategies, and restorative actions.
The principal or one of their deputies is the only authority who can impose the following sanctions, provided they are stipulated in the internal regulations, in accordance with Article R. 451-11 of the Education Code:
Warning (Avertissement)
Reprimand (Blâme)
Temporary exclusion (Exclusion temporaire) for up to eight days
The principal may also implement and enforce preventive, restorative, and support measures outlined in the school rules and regulations.
The disciplinary council has full authority, once convened, to impose any sanctions outlined in the school regulation, including those that could otherwise be decided solely by the principal.
Additionally, the disciplinary council may also implement preventive, restorative, and support measures as specified in the internal regulations. The procedural framework for disciplinary matters is also defined by the school rules and regulations.
The Disciplinary Council
The disciplinary council is responsible for reviewing and deciding on disciplinary actions against students in secondary education institutions (collège and lycée).
Indeed, disciplinary procedures apply in secondary education institutions (collège and lycée). However, before initiating a disciplinary procedure, the principal and the whole educational team must explore all possible educational measures to address the issue.
The educational commission plays a key role in implementing these preventive actions, and tries its best to focus on student accountability rather than immediate punishment. The convening of the disciplinary council is then considered a last resort, reserved for the most serious cases.
It is viewed as a grave decision, reflecting the severity of the misconduct and the failure of prior educational measures.
Configuration and Operation
The disciplinary council includes:
- The principal, president;
- The deputy principal;
- A senior education advisor designated by the principal;
- The administrative and financial director or the secretary general of the school;
- Five staff representatives, including four for teaching and educational staff and one for administrative, social, health, technical, labor, and service staff;
- Three parent representatives and two student representatives in middle schools or two parent representatives and three student representatives in high schools;
The representatives of the staff and parents of students are elected each year from among themselves by the titular and substitute members of the Educational Board belonging to their respective categories.
The student representatives are designated by the students elected to the Educational Board, from among the student delegates or the elected members of the CVL.
For each member of the council, a substitute is elected or designated under the same conditions.
The term of office for elected members is one year. It expires on the day of the first meeting following the renewal of the council.
If, at the beginning of the school year, a student must appear before the disciplinary council while the new council has not yet been established, the disciplinary council, in its composition from the previous year, may legitimately convene.
The disciplinary council is chaired by the principal or, in their absence or inability to attend, by their deputy (or the deputy designated by the principal in case of multiple deputies).
The chairperson’s vote is decisive in the event of a tie.
The chairperson leads the procedure and discussions while ensuring respect for the principle of adversarial debate, with the aim of giving the disciplinary council’s intervention an educational purpose.
The disciplinary council may, when necessary, hear from qualified personnel who can provide insight into its proceedings, such as the deputy principal, social or health staff, etc.
To preserve the impartiality of the disciplinary council, at the initiative of the principal, members involved in the incidents are prohibited from attending certain meetings. The disciplinary council deliberates legitimately even in the absence of the student and/or their legal representative (if the student is a minor), provided they have been summoned according to the procedure outlined in the internal regulations.
A parent representative on the disciplinary council, whose child is brought before it, is replaced by a substitute for the meeting in which the student must appear.
A student who is the subject of an ongoing disciplinary procedure may not sit on a disciplinary council, either as a member or as a student representative, until a final decision has been made.
A student who has been or has been subject to a temporary exclusion sanction may no longer sit on a disciplinary council, either as a member or as a student representative, until the end of the school year.
In both cases, the student is replaced by their substitute.
When a member of the disciplinary council has requested that a student appear before the council, they are replaced by a substitute for the meeting during which the student must appear.
The decision of the disciplinary council is made in the presence of only those members who have deliberative voting rights.
All votes are conducted by secret ballot, with decisions made by a majority of the votes cast. Abstentions, blank ballots, and null votes are not counted.
Members of the disciplinary council and any individuals who took part in its deliberations are bound by confidentiality regarding all facts and documents they have accessed.