'They remain invisible to the National Education system': thousands of children with disabilities without suitable schooling

According to the Ministry of National Education, 519,000 children with disabilities were enrolled in mainstream schools at the start of the 2024 school year. Others are enrolled in medical-educational institutes (IME).

"Behind this growing number of children in school, there is a very variable quality of care, solutions that do not correspond to needs, children enrolled in mainstream schools when they need a place in an IME ," Sonia Ahehehinnou, vice-president of Unapei, explained to AFP.

According to a survey conducted by the network among 38 of its member associations, representing more than 3,600 children, 13% have no hours of schooling per week, 38% less than six hours, and 30% between 6 and 12 hours.

Only 19% have more than 12 hours of schooling per week.

In July 2025, 65% of these children did not have an INE number (national student identifier), which allows student tracking. " They therefore remain invisible to the National Education system ," according to Unapei.

“Only 9 hours of classes per week”

4,410 children are on the waiting list of the associations surveyed to obtain a place in a medical-educational institute. In the meantime, they are "either at home or enrolled by default in a regular school," according to Ms. Ahehehinnou.

Unapei, which launched a #J'aiPasEcole campaign, collected 998 testimonies from families on the website www.marentree.org .

Léo, 11, who has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is starting 6th grade this fall " with only nine hours of lessons per week , even though the Departmental House for Disabled People (MDPH) has notified him of 15 hours," his mother Clémentina told AFP.

" He is curious, lively, but deprived of a proper education . How will he be able to integrate into working life later?" says this mother, an administrative employee who had to leave her job to take care of him.