Gender-neutral GCSE French lessons trigger international row
British exam board to allow 16-year-olds to use newly coined hybrid pronouns in languages, despite terms not being recognised by countries.
“The use of gender-neutral terms in GCSE French lessons has triggered an international row.
Sixteen-year-old students at schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been allowed to use gender-neutral pronouns, nouns and adjectives in their writing and speaking exams in a scheme designed to make curricula more inclusive.
The change comes despite the “inclusive” terms rarely being used in France.
In French, all pronouns and nouns are either masculine or feminine and the written endings of adjectives and verbs must reflect the gender of the object or person in question.
Under so-called inclusive language, adopted by some Left-wing councils and universities, the French pronouns for “he” and “she”, normally “il” and “elle” are replaced by the newly coined hybrid word, “iel”, with “iels” as a new neutral plural.
Jean-Michel Blanquer, the former French education minister, called the new proposals “absurd”.
“French grammar has not changed in this regard,” he said. “And the use of ‘iel’ does not correspond to any widespread usage among the French population.”
Exam board Pearson Edexcel’s specifications for 2026 French, Spanish and German GCSE exams contain a section on the use of “gendered language”, in guidance supported by Stonewall.
You can read the article first published by the Telegraph on 9th May 2026 here.