Christian Estrosi has aimed to make Nice a candidate city for experimenting with school uniforms. Four elementary schools are expected to be involved.
“Four school groups in the city of Nice have been identified and selected in extremely varied neighborhoods,” announced Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, in a statement on Wednesday, December 6. These schools are already “operational to implement this experiment.”
His declaration follows that of Gabriel Attal, the Minister of National Education, who announced on France Info Wednesday morning, “a large-scale experiment by the holidays”. However, the occupant of the Rue de Grenelle admits to being “torn” on the issue of uniforms.
He explains: “I am not yet convinced that this is a solution that would solve everything. I would be interested to see what results a large-scale experiment would yield regarding school climate and the improvement of our students’ level.”
School uniforms, “a part of the solution” for Christian Estrosi
Christian Estrosi has always shown great interest in this experiment. Last September, during the launch of the call for applications, he responded positively. “The experiment of wearing uniforms in elementary schools, while not a panacea, is undoubtedly part of the solution“, he states.
The mayor of Nice announced the intention to integrate this test into a broader program called “Les Ambassadeurs de la République” (The Ambassadors of the Republic). The details of this approach will be presented soon. However, the city has already announced that it involves a plan with 15 measures based on “three pillars.”
The themes are as follows: “Respect and recognition of the values of the French Republic and its symbols; Development of social and civic skills from an early age, through engagement and understanding of differences; Knowledge of institutions and practice of civic rights, justice, and democracy.”
The debate over wearing school uniforms resurfaced during the back-to-school period in September, when the government’s ban on the abaya in schools was a current issue.
During his visit to Nice on September 4, Renaud Muselier, president of the Sud PACA region, expressed more agreement with the idea of implementing “appropriate attire“ rather than a traditional uniform.
Éric Ciotti, deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes, expressed support for the experiment of wearing uniforms in middle schools. For him, it is “the best response against those trying to bypass the law, and a way to reduce social differences.”
