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Parents' duties and role at school
Parents have duties to support their child's schooling. They can also take part in school life.
Key points of the sheet
- The school regularly informs parents about their child's results in assessments and about their behaviour. It uses the school record book (livret scolaire) during the cours élémentaire, then the school report (bulletin scolaire) at lower secondary school (collège) and upper secondary school (lycée).
- Parents must read the school record book or the school report and check the liaison book (carnet de liaison). They must also communicate with the teachers and attend parent-teacher meetings.
- Parents handle the administrative steps, for example enrolment. They must support their child and keep track of their homework at home.
- Parents can join the parents' association or stand in the elections of parent representatives. The representatives take part in important decisions about how the school is organised.
Words to know
- school record book (livret scolaire)
- It informs parents about the child's results and behaviour during the cours élémentaire.
- school report (bulletin scolaire)
- It informs parents about the child's results and behaviour at lower secondary school (collège) and upper secondary school (lycée).
- liaison book (carnet de liaison)
- Parents must check it. It is often digital, on the school's digital workspace (ENT).
- digital workspace (ENT) (espace numérique de travail (ENT))
- It is the school's digital space where the liaison book is often found.
- parents' association (association de parents d'élèves)
- It defends the interests of the children. Parents can join it.
- parent representatives (représentants des parents d'élèves)
- They are elected and take part in important decisions about how the school is organised.
Test yourself: 3 questions
At lower secondary school (collège), with which document does the school inform parents?
In French, the language of the exam: Au collège, par quel document l'école informe-t-elle les parents ?
At lower and upper secondary school, the information is given through the school report.
Where is the liaison book often found?
In French, the language of the exam: Où trouve-t-on souvent le carnet de liaison ?
The liaison book is often digital. It is on the school's digital workspace (ENT).
What does the school regularly inform a pupil's parents about?
In French, the language of the exam: Sur quoi l'école informe-t-elle régulièrement les parents d'un élève ?
The school must regularly inform parents about their child's results and behaviour.
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Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
More in this topic (Parenthood)
- Exercising parental authority (1/2)
- Exercising parental authority (2/2)
- School for allophone children (children whose first language is not French)
Source
Sheet “Les devoirs et le rôle des parents à l’école” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.