This hypothesis caused a stir and, quite naturally, various protests from local officials and the educational community because, in fact, what was called “merger” in administrative language, in reality, was nothing but the incorporation of the Nice academy (whose area of responsibility covers the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var) into that of Aix-Marseille.
Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer announced this Thursday, January 31, that the academies of Nice and Aix-Marseille will retain their separate rectorates.
The Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, and Frédérique Vidal, the Minister of Higher Education, had announced that in 2020 there would be one academy per region.
This Thursday, January 31, the same minister just announced that the issue was no longer in the plans.
Jean-Michel Blanquer explains that he finally made this decision after “listening to the stakeholders and going to the field.”
In reality, local pride—and some corporate interests—have rules that one must never forget and that are sometimes more powerful than those of rationalization.
In this case, “game over!”
