The school year is approaching, and not everyone can afford to start school with a complete list of supplies. Fortunately, in addition to government aid, associations and municipalities are working to offer alternatives to families in need.
Often undocumented or asylum seekers, many parents of students do not receive the back-to-school allowance, leaving them unable to purchase the necessary materials for school. In the face of this insecurity, the Nice-based association “Tous Citoyens!” and its partners, which include various branches (ADN, Cent Pour Un 06, Habitat et citoyenneté, the French Communist Party 06, the Education Without Borders Network 06, and Roya Citoyenne) are advocating to give some hope to these abandoned children.
Last year, the donations collected by the group allowed 510 children to receive a basic kit: backpack, pencil case, notebook, pens, pencils, markers, eraser, and ruler, providing hundreds of students with the opportunity to settle in better conditions. To participate in the collection, volunteers are invited to bring supplies in good condition or to make an online donation that will allow for the purchase of new supplies and their distribution to children.
A fundamental problem?
The supply lists requested by schools can seem expensive, even exaggerated, for parents in good financial health. According to France Info, school supplies have increased by 11.3% compared to last year. On average, expect to spend 233 euros for a primary school student and 371 euros for a high school student. With several school-aged children, it is clear that the bill can quickly add up. In light of these figures, a natural question arises: should school supplies be (completely) covered by the state?
More and more municipalities are asking this question, and some have not hesitated to take matters into their own hands. This is notably the case in Châtillon, in the Hauts-de-Seine, far from the Côte d’Azur. This small town is offering free school supply kits to all students in the city. From pre-school to fifth grade, students will be able to enjoy supplies entirely funded by the town hall from the next school year, much to the delight of parents. At the scale of major French cities, the path seems long, but awareness is beginning to spread, suggesting a definite reduction in educational inequalities in the coming years.
