The new birth leave, effective July 1, risks causing simultaneous absences of thousands of teachers when schools reopen in September 2026.
The scheme, announced by Emmanuel Macron in January 2024 as part of a “demographic rearmament” plan, grants new parents up to two additional months of paid leave. Health and Families Minister Stéphanie Rist confirmed on Wednesday that parents of children born or adopted since January 1 can use the leave retroactively until April 2027.
Employers must be notified before June 1. Five implementing decrees will be published next week to regulate the measure, which supplements existing maternity and paternity leave.
The Education Ministry, which employs more than 800,000 teachers, expects a significant cumulative effect. An estimate reported by Politico suggests up to 15,000 teachers could be absent when schools reopen, representing a 25 percent rise in replacement needs. Officials under Minister Édouard Geffray dropped plans for a four-month notice period.
“The potential impact is under analysis,” sources at the ministry said. Continuity of public services, including transport and hospitals, may also be affected through April 2027.
