Julien Grenet

Abstract:

This paper investigates the impact of social segregation in schools on social cohesion, socio-emotional development, and educational outcomes. We analyze a desegregation initiative introduced by the French Ministry of Education, comparing middle schools that participated in the program with similar schools that did not implement desegregation measures. The program substantially increased the exposure of low-SES to high-SES students and conversely. Our findings show that school desegregation fostered socio-emotional benefits for both groups of students and strengthened social cohesion, without negatively affecting the academic outcomes of either high- or low-SES students. These results provide actionable policy insights for advancing social cohesion in an era of growing polarization.