Association Enseignement public et informatique

Enseignement public et informatique (EPI) was a French non-profit association founded in 1971 and dissolved in June 2025. Its purpose was to promote the teaching of computing and the use of information and communication technologies in education. It advocated for a dedicated computing curriculum in French schools, taught by specifically trained teachers, and for the use of digital tools in every discipline and school activity. EPI was created in the context of the early development of computing in France, shortly after the Ministry of National Education launched in 1970 the first experiment introducing computing into lycées, known as the "experiment of the 58 lycées". It was founded by secondary-school teachers who had received advanced training in computing, and it later addressed all levels of education, from nursery school to university, broadening its scope to the use of computing tools in all teaching subjects. From 1971 to 2001 EPI published a quarterly print journal, La revue de l'EPI. More than 1,700 articles published between 1985 and 2001 were later distributed on a CD-ROM titled "15 ans de publications de la revue de l'EPI", and this historical corpus is now held in the French-language EduTice archive, Collection EPI. EPI also co-edited works with the Institut national de recherche pédagogique (INRP) and the Centre national de documentation pédagogique (CNDP) on the Langage symbolique d'enseignement (LSE). Its publishing activity continued digitally on its website and through a free monthly electronic magazine, EpiNet, first published in 1998. EPI was successively chaired by Marcel Massard (1971–1972), Pierre Muller (1972–1979), Michel Julian (1979–1982), Émilien Pélisset (1982–1988), Roland Ramis (1988–1990), Jacques Lucy (1990–1994), Jacques Baudé (1994–1995), Jean-Bernard Viaud (1995–2007) and Jean-Pierre Archambault (from 2007). Its honorary members included Serge Abiteboul, Gérard Berry and Maurice Nivat. EPI was a moral member of the Société informatique de France (SIF), with which it ran the "ITIC-EPI-SIF" reflection group bringing together primary, secondary and university teachers, researchers and other figures. On 23 February 2025 the association's president since 2007, Jean-Pierre Archambault, died. The association was dissolved in June of the same year and issued a statement: "L'EPI est fière d'avoir inspiré et accompagné depuis 1971 les premières innovations liées à l'informatique dans l'enseignement public."

Enseignement public et informatique (EPI) was founded in 1971, in the context of the development of computing in France. The Ministry of National Education had just launched in 1970 the first experiment introducing computing into lycées, known as the "experiment of the 58 lycées". EPI was originally founded by secondary-school teachers who had followed advanced training in computing. It later addressed all levels of education, from nursery school to university, and extended its field of interest to the use of computing tools in all teaching subjects. The association's stated purpose was to promote the teaching of computing and the use of computing and information and communication technologies. Its particular objectives were the promotion of digital tools in all disciplines and activities; the development of computing teaching in French secondary education by specifically trained teachers; and the development of teacher training in computing. From 1971 to 2001 EPI published a quarterly print journal, La revue de l'EPI. All articles (more than 1,700) published from 1985 to 2001 were distributed on a CD-ROM, "15 ans de publications de la revue de l'EPI". This historical corpus is now deposited in the French-language EduTice archive, Collection EPI. EPI was also behind co-editions with the Institut national de recherche pédagogique (INRP) and the Centre national de documentation pédagogique (CNDP) on the Langage symbolique d'enseignement (LSE). Its publishing activities continued in digital form on its website and through the monthly publication of a free electronic magazine, EpiNet, whose first issues date from 1998. EPI was successively chaired by Marcel Massard (1971–1972), Pierre Muller (1972–1979), Michel Julian (1979–1982), Émilien Pélisset (1982–1988), Roland Ramis (1988–1990), Jacques Lucy (1990–1994), Jacques Baudé (1994–1995), Jean-Bernard Viaud (1995–2007) and Jean-Pierre Archambault (from 2007). Among its honorary members were Serge Abiteboul (Professor at the Collège de France, Académie des sciences, INRIA, CNNum), Gérard Berry (Professor at the Collège de France, Académie des sciences, INRIA) and Maurice Nivat (Académie des sciences). EPI was a moral member of the Société informatique de France (SIF), with which it ran the "ITIC-EPI-SIF" reflection group composed of primary, secondary and university teachers, researchers and various personalities. On 23 February 2025, the association's president since 2007, Jean-Pierre Archambault, died. The association was dissolved in June of the same year and published a statement: "L'EPI est fière d'avoir inspiré et accompagné depuis 1971 les premières innovations liées à l'informatique dans l'enseignement public."

• 2025

  President Jean-Pierre Archambault dies on 23 February.

• 2025

  Association dissolved in June.

• 2007

  Jean-Pierre Archambault becomes president.

• 2001

  End of the print journal; more than 1,700 articles from 1985–2001 later distributed on CD-ROM.

• 1998

  First issues of the free monthly electronic magazine EpiNet.

• 1971

  EPI founded by secondary-school teachers trained in computing.

• 1971

  Start of publication of the quarterly print journal La revue de l'EPI (until 2001).

Non-profit advocacy and publishing association for computing education in French public schools.

• La revue de l'EPI

  Quarterly print journal published from 1971 to 2001.

• EpiNet

  Free monthly electronic magazine first published in 1998.

• CD-ROM "15 ans de publications de la revue de l'EPI"

  CD-ROM collecting more than 1,700 articles published from 1985 to 2001.

• Co-editions on LSE with INRP and CNDP

  Co-editions on the Langage symbolique d'enseignement.

1. 1Wikidata: Association Enseignement public et informatiquewikidata.org
2. 2Wikipédia: Enseignement public et informatiquefr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Site officielepi.asso.fr