This is undoubtedly one of the most complex and delicate dossiers in city management. Due to its scope, the audience it addresses (children, families, educators, and service agents), because mistakes cannot be afforded, and because it’s a task that looks to the future, the primary education of children demands real-time management. To succeed, it requires some good inspirations but mostly a lot of perspiration!
This year, the city of Nice has 158 schools (kindergartens and elementary schools), including a specialized school for the visually impaired, the Château school.
According to forecasts by the Academic Inspectorate, enrollment remains stable this new school year. More than 28,000 children are expected to be welcomed from September 4, 2012, in the public schools of Nice: approximately 11,100 in kindergarten and 16,900 in elementary.
The city of Nice has 1,218 classes. The budget allocated to schools and school meals represents a cost of 70 million euros for the city of Nice in 2012.
Nearly 1,600 people work to serve the pupils and staff of the National Education in the public establishments of Nice: 465 ATSEM (Specialized Territorial Agent for Kindergartens) ensure the well-being of young people from Nice, alongside kindergarten teachers; 580 agents handle the daily maintenance of school premises; 546 agents work on the 110 school meal sites and at the central kitchen;
Additionally, 228 grandpas and grandmas monitor traffic to ensure the safety of students during entry and exit times from schools.
Construction work in the schools of Nice
During school holidays, and particularly in the summer, many of Nice’s public schools get refurbished so that students and members of the educational community can work in the best conditions.
Since 2008, all school establishments have benefited from works at a total cost of 51.5 million euros. The municipal efforts will continue until the end of the mandate.
The work in schools in 2012
In 2012, 152 projects of varying scope were carried out in 108 establishments: renovation, extension, waterproofing, accessibility improvements, upgrading to standards for catering facilities, and creation of self-services, renovation of premises and sanitary facilities…
The digital challenge in Nice’s schools.
So that young people can integrate more effectively into today’s society, it is necessary that they are trained in the use of information and communication technologies.
Since the 2011 school year, a vast digital development plan for 2011/2014 has been launched in partnership with the National Education.
The school computer park thus includes: more than 2,400 desktop computers; 120 laptops for mobile classes; 254 network printers with at least one color printer for each school; 20 Interactive Whiteboards (provided by the Academic Inspectorate) all connected to a PC.
With the Digital Plan 2011-2014, the city of Nice is betting more than ever on the future by offering young generations access to the technologies they need to prepare for their entry into the professional world.
Encouraging children to “move well”
Sports activities are offered during the midday break (from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm) in all kindergartens and elementary schools of the ECLAIR network (formerly Ambition Success Network).
The goal is to cultivate a taste for physical activities essential for the well-being of each child.
Promoting all schoolchildren’s access to culture
A passport providing access to 17 cultural establishments in Nice
About 63,000 primary school students can once again participate in cultural visits this year.
Facilitating access to culture is a duty, a societal challenge. Because culture is a vector of citizenship and learning, a way to better understand life and the world, a means to ensure equal opportunities.
Appreciating Nice’s heritage
The mediation team at the Heritage Centre of the city of Nice works throughout the school year to convey Nice’s heritage to young schoolchildren through many thematic workshops (urban visits, living history workshops, games, songs, etc.).
On average, 2,500 students benefit from these mediation actions each year.
During traditional Nice festivities, animations are offered to schoolchildren: Festin dei Cougourdon, May of schools…
Very engaged child municipal councilors for their city
The Children’s Municipal Council allows fostering dialogue between city officials and its young population and making today’s schoolchildren tomorrow’s citizens.
The elected members of the municipal council have a two-year mandate. They meet twice a year in plenary sessions to develop projects for the city and thus aim to improve everyone’s life.
In the autumn of 2012, children from Nice’s elementary schools will be called to elect the members of the third children’s municipal council.
Pedestrian license and school trophy
Nice is the first city with over 350,000 inhabitants to have implemented the “Pedestrian License” on its territory since 2008, with the assistance of the municipal police and the National Education. The purpose of this operation in schools: to train 3rd-grade students, in a fun and educational way, on precautionary rules allowing them to ensure their own safety as pedestrians in the city.
The aim is to raise children’s awareness of road hazards and safety rules, teach them to assess risks, and encourage them to adopt responsible behavior. After theoretical and practical tests, the winner and all participants will be rewarded.
228 grandpas and grandmas monitor traffic to ensure the safety of students during entry and exit times from schools, which significantly reduces the risks posed by road traffic.
Making education and leisure accessible for children with disabilities
The city of Nice has assigned 51 agents to the integration service for young people with disabilities: 21 individual School Life Auxiliaries and 30 collective AVS in CLIS.
In the city’s leisure centers, the number of available spots has significantly increased over the past four years: the number went from 88 children received in 2008 to nearly 250 children in 2011-2012!
