AEFE: A global and structural reform - Propositions from Senator Samantha Cazebonne

On 19 January 2026, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu entrusted Senator Samantha Cazebonne, Senator representing French citizens living abroad, with a temporary mission concerning the reform of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE). As part of this mission, she submitted to the Government on 17 June 2026 a report entitled Refounding the AEFE to Support the Future of French Education Abroad, containing 44 recommendations aimed at restructuring and modernising both the Agency’s economic model and its overall organisation. This work formed part of a broader reflection on the future of the French education network abroad and its financial sustainability.

Present in 138 countries, the French education network abroad educates more than 400,000 pupils at the start of the 2025 academic year across more than 610 schools. The network is organised into three categories of institutions: directly managed schools, partner schools operating under agreement, and independent partner schools. All are accredited by the French Ministry of National Education, although their governance arrangements differ. Directly managed schools are administered by the AEFE itself, schools operating under agreement are jointly managed by the Agency and a local managing body, such as an association, while independent partner schools enjoy greater autonomy and are primarily managed locally whilst remaining fully integrated into the French education network abroad.

The report also highlights the overall fragility of the current model, particularly from a financial perspective. It notes that the AEFE is facing structural pressures arising from increasing costs, notably staff expenditure and the operating costs associated with the network. Furthermore, the Agency’s public service grant has been reduced by approximately €60 million between 2024 and 2026, despite continuing growth in staff costs and investment requirements across the network. The report also stresses that successive increases in tuition fees are placing an ever greater burden on families, particularly those from middle-income backgrounds, raising concerns about the long-term accessibility of the network. Running to 384 pages, the report also identifies persistent inequalities between schools, categories of staff and countries, which have gradually become entrenched over the years.

In the section devoted to proposals for a "new AEFE", the report first recommends stabilising and making the Agency’s funding model more transparent in order to prevent a continued rise in tuition fees. It also proposes simplifying financial mechanisms and making them easier to understand, thereby improving transparency for both families and schools. Particular attention is given to financial assistance for school fees, with the aim of providing greater support for middle-income families and adapting existing schemes to make them fairer and more coherent. The report further emphasises the need to improve workforce and expenditure management, together with better budgetary planning to reduce structural imbalances. In countries such as Morocco and Lebanon, rising tuition costs are placing particularly severe pressure on both families and schools.

Beyond financial considerations, the report also advocates a more far-reaching reform of the AEFE’s organisation. It proposes changes to governance in order to clarify responsibilities between the various institutional stakeholders and to improve coordination between the ministries concerned. It also recommends a more strategic internal reorganisation of the network, drawing a clearer distinction between operational management and responsibilities relating to international development and the promotion of the network, with the objective of strengthening the global reputation of French education.

Samantha Cazebonne concludes her report by observing that French education abroad has become a major strategic instrument for France’s international influence, outreach and educational diplomacy. However, profound changes in the international environment, increasing competition from major global education networks and enduring budgetary constraints now make a transformation of the current model essential.

I believe this report is likely to become a key reference document for the years ahead. It does not merely criticise the current system; rather, it sets out a comprehensive programme of reform built around 44 recommendations, based on an extensive programme of consultations with families, staff, elected representatives, schools, government departments and the General Inspectorates.

Patricia Connell
Councillor representing French citizens in the United Kingdom
Former President of the Consular Council