Four million students, enrolled in preparatory classes (CP) to middle classes (CM), will receive a two-euro collector’s coin by the end of spring as part of the Paris Olympic Games, an operation by the Ministry of Education, the cost of which, estimated at nearly sixteen million euros, is causing a lot of reaction.
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From this week in February 2024, French schoolchildren will receive an educational booklet on Olympic Games accompanied by a two euro commemorative coin. Distribution has started in the Loir-et-Cher department (central-west France). An initiative which was made without prior information from the Ministry of National Education. An official information email was finally sent by the ministry on Tuesday February 20 in the afternoon.
Ten billion to save
While the government wants to make drastic savings and there are ten billion to save, teachers and unions are criticizing this costly measure. Barely launched, the subject is already controversial. The first packages arrived in around a hundred schools in France. When they opened them, the teachers concerned were surprised to discover the booklets, intended for their students, accompanied by a commemorative two-euro Olympic Games coin, minted by the Paris Mint.
Guislaine David, general secretary of the National Unitary Union of Teachers, School Teachers and PEGC, denounces a very costly communication operation: “ We can imagine that this is not a small budget, because if we consider that from CP to CM2, there are four million students, we can quickly multiply with the two euro coin. Then there is the printing of the booklet, the deliveries which are made via schools directly by an external service provider. »
“ Communications operation »
“ We can clearly see that there is a distortion between a communication operation and then the reality of our schoolscontinues the union leader. And the reality in our schools at the moment is a very constrained budgetary context: no negotiations on salaries, class closures at the moment in our departments. We have the impression that the communication operation will also cost the state budget and we have the right to know what funding this is planned for. “. The approach concerning the allocation of two euros to each student raises questions all the more since money is prohibited in French schools.
These booklets include a text signed by Emmanuel Macron and another by the current Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, who was Minister of Education at the time of printing. Purpose of the operation? “ Raise awareness among primary school students of the historic event that will be the Olympic Games “, we explain to the ministry.
(With AFP)
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