AFP
In Béziers, “Harry Potter-style” uniforms for the start of the school year
With their red-edged blazers and their badges on their chests, the students of La Chevalière elementary school, on the heights of Béziers (Hérault), looked like Harry Potter on this back-to-school Monday. Since 2014, they have been eager to adopting the “school uniform”, the city of mayor Robert Ménard, formerly close to Marine Le Pen, is the first in mainland France to test the “unique outfit”, a project supported by the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, and the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron. Completed with a gray sweater, a white polo shirt and dark pants, La Chevalière’s outfit was chosen by the 147 students, and their families, of the small public school in “a rather quaint neighborhood. In all, four schools and more than 700 students are involved in the experiment in the town of 78,000 inhabitants, one of the poorest in France.” We had very classic requests, which are similar to the “universe of Harry Potter or manga”, indicated during a press briefing in the school courtyard the various right-wing deputy and wife of the mayor, Emmanuelle Ménard, who was rather expecting a choice of outfits ” jeans and T-shirt.”Before the bell rings, the schoolchildren gather in the playground, blazers hidden by a big jacket, which they will take off when they return, a little intimidated by the numerous television cameras present.”There are some Once, they said: +Oh, you’re ugly, you don’t dress the same+. It hurt me a little. At least we will have the same skirt, the same polo shirt, the same blazers and everything,” said Alexia, proudly aged, in the courtyard of the school, proud to show off her new clothes. “They are very beautiful. And then, with the badge, if we get lost in the street, they will bring us back,” adds Marie, his CE1 friend. “I’m not going to shy away from my pleasure,” rejoiced Robert Ménard. “It won’t happen.” is not to say that this will solve all the problems. We simply hope that on a certain number of points, we will move forward. “When you are rich or poor, you don’t dress exactly the same way. It will be seen less”, assures the mayor, hoping that this will reduce the problems of “social differentiation”, “harassment” or even communitarianism. – Free for families – In Béziers, the schoolchildren concerned were invited during the holidays to collect their “clothing kits” free of charge, the cost of which, 200 euros, is shared equally between the city and the Ministry of National Education. At this stage, 92 establishments in France “have applied” for the experiment , a little less than the government objective of 100 establishments, indicated Monday morning the Minister of National Education, Nicole Belloubet. “What we would like to see is whether, yes or not, wearing the outfit can creating serenity in the classroom can calm the school climate. We know that we learn well when the climate is peaceful”, she underlined. The effects on “the school climate” will be the subject of an “independent evaluation by research laboratories” and “if it is positive, there could be an extension of the system”, indicated in Béziers the rector of the Montpellier Academy, Sophie Béjean. On the union side, we do not share the enthusiasm of the authorities. For Jean-François Guerrero, professor of schools and representing Unsa-Education in Béziers, this is a “ceremonial measure”. “We also look at the expenses: 200 euros per student, no teacher would spit on it in terms of travel, educational projects”, he said. For him, teachers “don’t understand that suddenly we can have enormous budgets for a measure which in fact is probably not going to work that much.” According to Sophie Béjean, the cost, relatively modest in the overall budget, will not cut into other educational projects at the Montpellier academy. The “unique outfit” is a sea serpent in the debates on education in France, where the uniform has no never been compulsory in public schools. President Macron, who is in favor of it, plans to generalize it in 2026 if the results of the experiment are conclusive.siu-asm/so/tes
2024-02-27 11:45:05
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