Wine In The School Canteen: What The Records Show For France

In France, what seems unthinkable today - children being served alcoholic beverages at school meals - was in fact part of mid-20th-century practice in many places. Over the decades, changing social attitudes and public health concerns led to formal restrictions: first in 1956 for younger pupils, then a broader shift in 1981. This article examines what the historical record supports, highlights uncertainties, and places the changes in context.

Cultural And Institutional Background: Wine As A Normal Part Of Daily Life

During the early to mid-20th century, wine was widely accepted in France as a beverage to accompany meals. Historical accounts suggest that in rural or wine-producing regions, children might have consumed small amounts of wine or other fermented drinks, such as beer and cider, often diluted with water, during lunch. Promotional campaigns by the wine industry in the interwar and post-war periods aimed to familiarize young people with wine consumption.

Moreover, some sources indicate that serving alcoholic beverages in school canteens, especially for older children, was tolerated or even common in certain areas until the mid-20th century. However, the detailed national legal framework, including exact quantities and age limits regarding this practice, is not well-documented in publicly available sources, so any generalizations should be made cautiously.

The 1956 Measure: Restriction For Younger Pupils

In August 1956 (often cited as “a circular of the Ministry of National Education”), the French government issued a directive concerning drinks served in school canteens and boarding schools. The text specifically prohibits the serving of alcoholic beverages (wine, beer, cider) in school canteens to children under the age of 14. 

One summary notes:

“C’est en 1956 que le ministère de l’Éducation nationale adopte une circulaire interdisant de servir toutes boissons alcoolisées dans les écoles aux enfants de moins de 14 ans.”

Another account cites the relevant wording: “La cantine ou la salle à manger … ne doit éventuellement fournir aucune boisson alcoolisée aux enfants de moins de quatorze ans.” 

This measure marks a clear shift: while previously institutional practices permitted or tolerated alcoholic beverages for minors at school, the state began formal restriction for under-14s.

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What This Measure Does And Does Not Say

• It does state a prohibition for children under 14 in school canteens/boarding schools.
• It does not appear (in the sources we located) to be a full ban for all minors or for older children across all schools. Some sources note older pupils could still consume alcoholic beverages under certain conditions after 1956.
• The measure is a circular (administrative instruction) rather than a standalone law passed by Parliament, according to the summaries.
• Some sources also claim that after 1956 older students could drink beverages of low alcohol content (less than about 3°) with parental consent.
• The exact quantities (for example “½ litre per child per day”) are mentioned in popular accounts but are not reliably documented in primary official sources accessible in this research. For instance, one reference claims “un huitième de litre” for older pupils. 

Thus, the 1956 circular is a documented milestone, but not a full prohibition of alcohol in schools for all ages.

The 1981 Measure: Towards A General Ban In Schools

A further change came in September 1981, when a circular (dated 3 September 1981) by the Ministry of National Education declared that in school canteens and restaurants, no alcoholic beverages are to be served, even mixed with water. 

According to one summary:

“Cette texte […] « à la table », « dans les cantines et restaurants scolaires, aucune boisson alcoolisée ne sera servie, même additionnée d’eau », précise le ministre Alain Savary.” 

From this we interpret that 1981 marked the institutional end of serving alcoholic beverages in the canteen context for minors (and presumably for all pupils of school age) in France.

Scope and Caveats

• The 1981 circular appears to cover canteens/restaurant settings within schools; it is less clear in the sources whether it addressed all school‐related alcohol consumption (for example during extracurriculars or off-site activities) or was purely about the institutional meal setting.
• There is no easily accessible full reproduction of the text in the sources I located; summaries rely on journalistic or retrospective accounts, so exact wording, scope (age, school level, type of institution) may vary.
• After 1981, additional laws restricted the sale and advertising of alcohol to minors more broadly (e.g., the Loi Évin of 1991, and age-sale restrictions in later years). 

What The Practice Looked Like (And What We Know)

Some common features of commentary on the era prior to 1956 include:

• Children (in certain regions and schools) being served diluted wine (or beer/cider) during midday meals.
• Parental belief that wine was a “normal” part of a meal, and that it was less risky than other beverages; some sources mention that wine was promoted as beneficial to children’s nutrition or health in that period.
• The quantity of drink served varied by region and practice; popular accounts mention half a litre, or four small glasses, but these numbers are not reliably documented in primary legal or institutional archives. For example, one summary mentions “un huitième de litre” permitted for older pupils after 1956.
• The regional and local variation was significant: wine‐producing zones are mentioned as more likely to have such practices, and the transition away from them was uneven. 

In short: the broad picture is supported (wine served in school meals in certain times/places), but the detailed “every child got X amount” story should be treated as anecdotal.

Why The Change Happened

Several factors converged to produce the 1956 and 1981 institutional shifts:

• Rising concern about alcohol consumption, including among young people, after World War II. The creation of the Haut Comité d’étude et d’information sur l’alcoolisme in 1954 is one example of the policy focus.
• Public health understanding gradually evolved to view alcohol less as a benign meal accompaniment and more as a risk factor (especially for minors).
• Institutional reform of school canteens: after the war, the French state increasingly regulated meals, canteens, and boarding school nutrition; the 1956 measure can be seen in this context.
• Cultural change: while wine remained and remains a key part of French culture, social attitudes toward children’s alcohol consumption shifted, and the alignment of school policy with public health priorities became more pressing.
• Economic/political factors: some commentary points to the decline in institutional promotion of wine for children, and changing agricultural/food-policy priorities (such as milk campaigns) though these are less directly documented. 

Summing up

France’s journey from serving wine in school canteens to banning it entirely mirrors changing views on health, childhood, and responsibility. What was once considered nourishment became recognized as a public-health risk, illustrating how deeply cultural habits can evolve under new knowledge and values.