Health in primary school (kindergarten or elementary)
Verified 15 October 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
Your child enters kindergarten or elementary school and you want to know how is ensured the follow-up of his health? Vaccinations, medical visits, preventive measures and health education, schooling of the sick student, fight against school bullying: here is the information you need to know about your child's health in primary school.
The number of mandatory vaccines to enter school depends on the date of birth of your child.
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Child born before 2018
The mandatory vaccinations are as follows:
- For children born before 2018, primary vaccination diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis (DTP). It is required to go to school.
- Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for residents of the department of French Guiana older than 12 months (one year) or any person staying there.
Persons with parental authority must ensure that this obligation is respected.
The recommended vaccinations concern the following diseases and infections:
- Diseases such as tuberculosis, pertussis, rubella, measles, and mumps, chickenpox, influenza, hepatitis B, shingles
- Invasive haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal, meningococcal C infections
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections.
FYI
A national HPV vaccination campaign is being organized in schools and health and social care facilities for children with disabilities.
Child born between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022
The mandatory vaccinations for babies and children:
- Diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis (DTP)
- Whooping cough
- Invasive Haemophilus influenzae type B infections
- Hepatitis B
- Invasive pneumococcal infections
- Meningococcal serogroup C
- Measles, mumps and rubella.
And, for residents of Guyana, yellow fever from 1 year.
Persons with parental authority must ensure that this obligation is respected.
The recommended vaccinations relate to diseases such as:
- Tuberculosis
- Chickenpox
- Flu
- Shingles
- Human papillomavirus infections
- Rotavirus.
Child born from 2023
The mandatory vaccinations for babies and children:
- Diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis (DTP)
- Whooping cough
- Invasive Haemophilus influenzae type B infections
- Hepatitis B
- Invasive pneumococcal infections
- Meningococcal serogroup A, B, C, W and Y
- Measles, mumps and rubella.
And, for residents of Guyana, yellow fever from 1 year.
Persons with parental authority must ensure that this obligation is respected.
The recommended vaccinations relate to diseases such as:
- Tuberculosis
- Chickenpox
- Flu
- Shingles
- Human papillomavirus infections
- Rotavirus.
A medical check-up is carried out at the nursery school for all children 3 to 4 years.
Another medical examination is carried out during the 6e year of the child, in a large section of kindergarten or CP.
These visits are free of charge for families. The presence of a parent is strongly advised.
These medical visits allow to establish a health check of the child.
The main objective of these assessments is to identify the signs that can lead to learning difficulties: visual, auditory or language problems.
Please note
If your child is overweight, the doctor may refer you to a health center or nursing home for specific follow-up. This tracking, called health journey, includes a physical activity report and dietary and psychological follow-up sessions. To follow this route, your child must be between 3 and 12 years old.
With your consent, the information about your child's health collected during these examinations is recorded in the shared medical record.
Lifestyle hygiene, nutrition education
Each school must educate students about thelifestyle. A regular reminder of the following barrier gestures must be performed:
- Wash hands several times a day, with soap and for 30 seconds
- Use a disposable tissue to sneeze or cough
- Throw this tissue in the trash immediately and wash your hands again.
The school must also educate the child about thenutrition education and the fight against obesity.
FYI
Vending machines for beverages and food products are prohibited in schools.
Education for emotional and relational life (EVAR)
Education for emotional and relational life aims to develop the following skills:
- Getting to know yourself and your body
- Improve well-being, encourage students to express themselves
- Enabling responsible choices
- Respect others and live together through respect and empathy.
In kindergarten and elementary school, at least 3 annual sessions education in emotional and relational life are implemented.
These emotional and relational life education sessions must also help detect and deal with situations of gender-based or sexual violence. The intelligence of a questionnaire it is offered, at least once a year, to students from the main kindergarten section. The questionnaire can be completed nominatively or anonymously.
If a nominative questionnaire reveals the potential existence of gender-based or sexual violence, the student concerned is interviewed by at least one staff member of the institution. If the existence of this type of violence is revealed by a non-nominal questionnaire, a specific information and awareness-raising action is organized in the classroom or establishment.
Please note
At the beginning of the school year, you are informed that this type of questionnaire can be offered to your child. You can then refuse to allow your child to complete the questionnaire
Short-term illness: absence of the child
When your child is absent due to illness, you must first report it to their school as soon as possible. You will then have to justify this absence in writing.
One medical certificate is mandatory only in case of contagious disease. You must provide it to the school administration as soon as your child returns to class.
Long-term illness: home or hospital schooling
If your child's illness does not allow him/her to be admitted full-time to his/her school, ateaching support at home in the hospital or at school (Apadhe) can be set up.
To do this, you, or the head teacher, through the Apadhe teacher coordinator, must make the request to Dasen: titleContent. The child's medical certificate must be transmitted.
The departmental technical advisor decides whether the state of health of your child requires the implementation of this device.
In this case, he will be cared for at home by volunteer teachers, if possible from his institution.
If your child is hospitalized for a long time, he or she may benefit for free intervention at the hospital by specialized teachers.
If your child cannot benefit from these devices, they can follow theeducation in the family.
You can also register it for free to French national centre for distance education (Cned) in a regulated class. For this, you must get permission to educate your child in the family with the Dasen: titleContent.
Other illness: individualized care (IAP)
If your child requires special care, especially in case of chronic disease, you can ask the school to set up a individualized reception project (PAI).
Example :
If your child has a food allergy, you can use the IAP to set up a packed lunch system.
If your child's illness requires medications (asthma, diabetes), they should be available in the infirmary and in the child's first aid kit.
If your child is repeatedly subjected to verbal, moral or physical abuse by one or more other students, he or she is victim of school harassment. You must contact the school management. You will be invited to present the situation of harassment experienced by your child.
You can also contact the 3018, national number for victims of harassment.
This number allows you to report the problem of bullying experienced by your child. You will get advice and support to deal with the situation.
Who shall I contact
To ask your questions anonymously and confidentially about school harassment.
By phone
3018
Open 7 days a week, from 9am to 11pm
Free and anonymous call
Website
App Store and Google Play
The 3018 app is also available from the App Store and Google Play.
The school must then respect a support protocol to put an end to the harassment situation.
Different prevention measures are put in place to combat school bullying.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
If a child's mental or physical health is at risk
A telephone number for any child or young person who is a victim of violence or anyone who is concerned about a situation of a child in danger or at risk of being so.
By phone
119 (free and confidential call)
24/7
A call on this number is geolocated, identified and prioritized. It does not appear on the invoices.
On the website www.allo119.gouv.fr
- Chat in real time for children under 18 (7 days a week from 3 pm to 8:30 pm)
- Device in French sign language for deaf and hard of hearing people
This platform is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 7 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm. - Online Collection Form to file a situation if you are an adult
If you think you may be a victim or witness of bullying at school
To ask your questions anonymously and confidentially about school harassment.
By phone
3018
Open 7 days a week, from 9am to 11pm
Free and anonymous call
Website
App Store and Google Play
The 3018 app is also available from the App Store and Google Play.
Health protection in the school environment
FAQ
Service Public
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Health
French national centre for distance education, Cned
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education