The pricing of extracurricular activities, even though modified after the decision to make them chargeable for everyone and its pricing relaxation, is still not accepted by the Nice PCF, which demands they be free. There is very little chance that this request will be considered.
The school rhythm reform imposed, without consultation, by the government marks a new disengagement of the State from its responsibilities. It creates additional difficulties for municipalities already financially strangled, for families, and for the associative fabric.
In this already dramatic situation, the mayor of Nice, to offset the financial cost to local authorities, has decided to charge families for educational care time.
This decision will constitute an additional difficulty for thousands of households already bearing the brunt of the austerity policy implemented by the government. The consequences of such a decision are catastrophic for families who do not have the financial means or the possibility to pick up their children at 3:45 p.m. As a result, according to the data from the mayor of Nice himself, only 40% of students were enrolled for extracurricular activities by the end of August.
One does not need to be a great expert to guess that in the most working-class families, the registration rate is even lower. By deciding to implement a half-price tariff, the mayor of Nice is taking a step, but it is still insufficient.
In a city, a department where precarity and unemployment are skyrocketing (+7.5% in one year in the 06, compared to +4.3% nationwide), now is not the time to add difficulties to difficulties.
Our children should not become the collateral victims of the government’s disastrous choices and the confrontation conducted by Christian Estrosi against the Ministry of National Education.
Abandoning the project of charging for educational care time is imperative to ensure equality for children in front of public service.
Robert Injey (PCF)
