Éric Ciotti recently announced the upcoming installation of flagpoles in the 89 primary schools in Nice. The mayor wishes to organize flag-raising ceremonies with students and La Marseillaise.
The French tricolor flag will be entering the courtyards of Nice schools. Éric Ciotti announced, on Friday, August 28, the upcoming installation of a flagpole in each of the 89 primary schools in Nice. The mayor wishes to fly the French flag there and regularly organize flag-raising ceremonies.
The city council must now work with the regional education authority, school principals and the various personnel involved. Several options are being considered, including a flag-raising ceremony at the beginning of the week or on the occasion of certain ceremonies.Éric Ciotti is to meet soon with the new rector of the Nice education authority, Emmanuel Roux, who stated yesterday at a press conference that he was not aware of the mayor’s plans. “The French flag must regain its full place in all Nice schools, declared the mayor. In the coming weeks, Nice schools will be equipped with a flagpole to fly the tricolor flag. We are exploring all options to achieve regular flag-raising ceremonies, accompanied by La Marseillaise. I will take this matter up with the education authority. We want to instill a love of France, its history and its symbols from a young age!”
An announcement that provokes reactions
In its statement, the mayor of Nice presents this measure as a “requirement for transmission” to young people. The municipality also recalls devoting “more than one million euros in educational credits to the 150 public schools in Nice, more than double the previous scheme.”
The announcement comes as the municipality is also continuing the rollout of air conditioning in schools. The stated objective is to equip all schools by the end of 2027. The cost of the work is estimated at approximately 12 million euros and is to be the subject of a public tender.
The choice to install flagpoles and organize flag-raising ceremonies is nonetheless attracting criticism. For Gilles Jean, general secretary of the SNUipp-FSU, this measure constitutes “an instrumentalization of schools.” The union notes that schools already have republican symbols and that the teaching of La Marseillaise is part of the school curriculum.
FCPE 06 also criticizes the priority given to this measure. Khadija El Ouahabi believes that “School time does not belong to local authorities but to the Education Ministry.” The president of the parents’ federation would have preferred to see the funds allocated to the flagpoles used for free school supplies.
The debate thus joins a recent decision by the municipality.The free distribution of school supplies, implemented under Christian Estrosi, was not renewed by the new municipal team.
On the left, Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux believes that “When you eliminate free school supplies, you cannot make families forget the back-to-school expenses by waving a flag.”
The association All Citizens! also contests the hierarchy of priorities. “We have no problem with the French flag or La Marseillaise. The symbols of the Republic have their place in our collective life and are naturally part of civic education. But when it comes to public schools, the essential question remains that of resources and priorities.”
The association notably demands school supplies for all, well-maintained schools and appropriate reception conditions. A controversy that is likely to continue as the city council and education authority still need to define the concrete arrangements for future flag-raising ceremonies in Nice schools.
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