The statements of the new Minister of Education reopen a case that, in fact, had never been closed!
An emblematic reform during Vincent Peillon’s tenure at the Ministry, the school rhythm reform had been implemented with difficulty.
Some elected officials oppose it for ideological reasons (those on the right, due to insufficient state funding following the additional expenses incurred), criticism from families, dissatisfaction from teachers, everyone finds more faults than qualities in it.
Even though the reform supposedly had psycho-pedagogical benefits for children, according to experts, … who at this age cannot express an opinion, do not join unions, and do not yet vote.
The TAP, in other words, the Extracurricular Activity Times, have been a headache for many municipalities… and especially in Nice in 2014 where Christian Estrosi played the role of a revolting Garibaldi, giving the academy’s rector at that time a hard time … even going so far as to deprive her of her official residence, which was municipal property, as “retaliation”.
This reform would persist at the start of the 2017 school year, but a “specific text” would be published soon to “allow municipalities, in close collaboration with the schools in their area, to organize extracurricular time without constraint”.
In concrete terms, municipalities will be able to decide to return to a four-day week, maintain or eliminate extracurricular activities, which are only partially funded by the State until 2019 (except for the poorest municipalities).
