Parental empowerment was at the heart of Gabriel Attal’s speech this Thursday from Viry-Châtillon. The Prime Minister wishes in particular to fight against the phenomenon of “resigning parents”.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced this Thursday, April 18, 2024, a series of measures to combat violence among young people, during a trip to Viry-Châtillon, where Shemseddine, 15, died after being beaten on April 4 last year. The tenant of Matignon has given himself a deadline of “eight weeks” to carry out this “collective work” and put in place concrete measures. A first point will be made in a month. Until then, he says he is open to discussions to “enrich” his proposals.
Fines and community service
“No, our young people are not screwed” proclaimed Gabriel Attal this Thursday. And to launch this “counter-attack” by the Republic against minors’ violence, what could be better than attacking the root? Indeed, a significant part of his speech was oriented towards parents. Gabriel Attal wishes to “further support” poor families facing their children dropping out of school and the violence observed at school, particularly for “those single mothers” who need it the most.
This empowerment of “resigning parents” desired by the government should take place in three points. First, the Prime Minister intends to “repress more widely and severely the failures of parents to fulfill their obligations” as he clearly indicated in Viry-Châtillon. He wanted to emphasize “single women who fight as much as they can to keep their children on the right path”, sometimes in vain. “We will help them even more” promised the Prime Minister.
Secondly, the head of government intends that “defaulting parents may be subject to community service”. A measure which aims to “empower resigning parents, so that they have to answer for the actions of their children” explains Gabriel Attal. Finally, he hopes “it will be possible for the children’s judge to impose a fine on parents who do not respond to his summons”. However, “it is not only the parent who lives with the child who must pay.” “It is not because a child has left the home that he must wash his hands” of his responsibilities, we heard.
A contract between parents and schools?
As part of the school and the investment of parents in their children’s educational career, the latter could be forced, from the start of the school year, to sign a contract of rights and obligations with the educational establishment. This document “may open the door to sanctions”, for example, in the event of “a manifest lack of attendance” or “non-participation of parents in the education of their children”. Gabriel Attal specifies that the contours of this new contract of trust will be defined “in the coming weeks”, as will “the sanctions to which parents would be exposed in the event of their child’s deviation”. “I tell parents, never give up. The State is at your side. If some parents fight and refuse to give up, others give up and shirk their duty,” he nevertheless conceded.