In the end, all school starts look alike. It’s always the same mix of cries, laughter, and tears. Some moms are comforting, others are asking for a last kiss from the older ones who have already found their friends. In a corner, there is drama. Dad forgot the comfort toy at home. We’ll have to manage without: “because now, you are a big girl!”
Yes, all school starts look alike. In the 161 kindergarten and primary schools in Nice, more than 27,000 children returned yesterday, willingly or unwillingly, to school.
But for the Bornala and Madonette establishments, the 2008 start is somewhat special. It was the Mayor himself who welcomed the students and their parents this morning. A handshake here, a kiss there, before visiting some classes. All photographers got the much-anticipated scene: Christian Estrosi sitting on a very small chair, surrounded by cute schoolgirls, with a large picture book open in front of him…
PEA, or School Future Plan
It was only past 9 o’clock that the procession of elected officials and journalists got down to serious business: the assessment of the work carried out this summer and the presentation of projects for this 2008/2009 school year.
4,400,000 euros is the total budget for the renovation of 62 schools in two months. “That’s 800,000 euros more than last year at the same time, and we’ve only been here for 6 months!” said Lauriano Azinheirinha, the deputy mayor in charge of education.
So, 62 schools have benefited from room and sanitary refurbishments, security work, or even optimization of energy management. “It’s very satisfying,” assures Christelle Mouchot, director of the Madonette kindergarten. “We work in an old school, but one with a soul. This year, we start the school year in good conditions.” The Mayor promises that within the next 5 years, all schools in Nice will meet standards. It’s the famous multi-year School Future Plan.
From Pedestrian License to Scolaweb
The press conference also allowed an update on some projects, more or less innovative, more or less anticipated.
Morning reception will be set up in some new schools (chosen after investigation). 450 children in the third grade will take a “Pedestrian License” in the first trimester. Ten European classes are expected to be created in 2009. The number of organic meals in the cafeteria will be increased (currently 6 for the whole year). 200 more places will open in day camps in the coming days. And the Scolaweb project, an online journal for schools, is slowly taking shape.
It’s true, all school starts look alike. A lot of good resolutions are made in September. But it’s only in June that we can say if they were kept…
This video is from the Web TV Nice site 
