The State diploma for early childhood educators (DEEJE) remains a demanding program, structured around four areas of competence and long internships in childcare facilities. Since 2024, the increasing emphasis on apprenticeships and employment-based programs has expanded access to this training. However, following a distance EJE training does not lighten the path: the certification requirements are the same, and several specific obstacles arise from the first months.
Emotional isolation and lack of peer network: the blind spot of distance EJE programs
The profession of early childhood educator relies on relationships, keen observation, and the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams. In-person, these skills are also developed in hallways, informal times between classes, and shared internship feedback with the group.
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At a distance, this relational fabric does not exist spontaneously. Learners often describe a gap between the emotional load of internships (confrontation with complex family situations, managing parent-child separation) and the solitude of returning home, without the possibility of debriefing immediately with peers experiencing the same situation.
Several institutes have set up practice analysis groups via videoconference, but feedback from the field varies on the effectiveness of these arrangements. A scheduled online exchange does not replace the spontaneous conversation that follows a difficult class or internship. Choosing a distance early childhood educator training therefore requires actively anticipating the construction of this network, outside the framework proposed by the organization.
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In practice, learners who persist over time are often those who have created or joined a private group (messaging, forum) with other distance EJE students, sometimes from different organizations. The peer network is built in parallel, not as an option.
Validation of the BC1 block at a distance: the limit of virtual simulations against practical internships
The BC1 skills block (socio-educational support) concentrates the most relational professional situations from the EJE reference framework. The national survey by CNFPT on the assessment of social training in alternation, published in April 2026, highlights an increased difficulty for distance learners in validating this block.
The reason lies in the very nature of the evaluated learning. Supporting a child with a disability, conducting an interview with a struggling family, or leading a collective educational project cannot be simulated on screen. The virtual situational tools offered by some organizations fall short of what mandatory practical internships produce with diverse audiences.
What this changes for the organization of the program
Internships remain mandatory in all cases, including for distance training. The difficulty lies in their coordination with the schedule of an isolated learner. Finding a suitable internship location, negotiating periods compatible with paid work, obtaining a field tutor who is available: these steps rely entirely on the learner when they are not attached to an in-person institute.
- Identify childcare structures (nurseries, daycare centers, EAJE) willing to host a distance EJE trainee, which often requires personal outreach
- Ensure that the internship site allows for the validation of the four areas of competence, not just the most accessible area
- Anticipate internship periods as soon as enrollment, as spots are limited and competition with in-person students is real
The search for an internship is the primary factor for dropout in distance EJE training. Serious organizations offer support in this area, but the burden largely falls on the learner.
Hybrid model and employer partnerships: what distinguishes successful training programs
The OECD comparative study on early childhood vocational training, published in October 2025, points out a gap between French models and certain European arrangements. Hybrid training linked to employer-institution partnerships shows better certification rates than fully distance programs.
The principle is simple: the learner is employed or apprenticed in a childcare structure and follows theoretical modules at a distance, while benefiting from continuous field supervision. This model reduces isolation, facilitates access to internships, and anchors learning in daily practice.
In France, the reform promoting apprenticeships in the social sector has led to a notable increase in available spots in regional institutes since 2024, according to the IGAS report from March 2025. This trend benefits candidates seeking to combine distance training with professional grounding.
Criteria for evaluating a distance EJE training organization
- Is the training registered with the RNCP and does it award the DEEJE (State diploma), or does it only prepare for the entrance selection tests for the institute?
- Does the organization provide concrete support in the search for internships, with an identified network of partner structures?
- Are there synchronous collective times (videoconference, gatherings) or is the program entirely asynchronous?
- Is the certification rate (and not just the satisfaction rate) communicated transparently?
The distinction between a preparation for the EJE competition and a complete diploma training is often blurred in the communication of organizations. Many distance programs only cover preparation for entry into the institute, not the training itself over three years.
Relational skills and EJE professional project: what distance learning cannot replace
The profession of early childhood educator mobilizes skills that develop through direct interaction: participatory observation, physical adjustment to the child, reading group dynamics in a nursery section. These know-how are not included in any online module.
For a distance learner, the risk is mastering the theoretical framework without having sufficiently experienced the relational dimension of the profession before the certification tests. The professional project presented at the oral admission, and throughout the program, benefits from being based on concrete experiences with children, even if voluntary or informal, rather than solely on reading course materials.
Distance training serves as a framework, not as a substitute for field experience. Successful candidates are those who invest as much time in their practical experiences as in their online modules. The State diploma for early childhood educators remains a demanding qualification, regardless of the mode of training chosen.