Le Figaro Nice
From March 11, upon returning from the winter holidays, meals in the canteens of elementary schools in Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes) could cost parents much more.
After five unjustified absences, they will have to pay for the lunch menu at cost: 9.45 euros compared to 3.60 euros in normal times.
It would not be a question of punishing but rather of
“empowering people”,
according to Dominique Aude-Lasset, deputy director general (DGA) of the City, delegate for Education.
It is also firstly a question of compensating for the considerable increase in the cost of meals for the municipality since a renewal of the market, with a new service provider.
“We are talking about an increase of 38% over the period from September 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024 compared to the previous year, with the former catering company, or an additional 2.2 million euros to bear”
, explains the assistant.
Rather than transferring this additional cost to the price of the canteen ticket (which still increased by 20 cents at the beginning of January), the City sought to make some savings.
“This is how we found several dysfunctions.
Above all, we noticed that there were more and more children registered in the canteen who ultimately did not eat lunch.
And this, without management being notified
,” adds Dominique Aude-Lasset.
Read alsoAir pollution in Nice: the schools where children breathe the worst
Hundreds of thousands of euros in losses
After some brief calculations, the loss due to these unjustified absences was calculated at 160,000 euros for the 2022-2023 school year.
“With the change of service provider, this figure could even rise to 260,000, or even 300,000 euros
,” assures the DGA.
A waste of public money but also of food.
“Of course, it always adds a little extra for the children who are in the canteen, but it also means a lot of meals going in the trash
,” she continues.
It was on this observation that the idea of attacking families' wallets emerged little by little.
At the beginning of January, it was first decided that the slightest unjustified absence would be punished.
Faced with discontent from parents, the rule was relaxed.
Ultimately, they will have five chances during the school year before being financially reprimanded.
“They will have 72 hours to provide valid proof, such as a medical certificate. We do not refute the fact that there may be, exceptionally, an absence with an inability to provide proof, which is why we will tolerate five. In all cases, we remain attentive and close to families
,” insists Dominique Aude-Lasset.
If the DGA assures that the measure was generally well received and understood by the majority of parents of students in Cannes, the Federation of Parents' Councils (FCPE) does not see it that way.
It's not because our child is sick that we systematically go to the doctor!
A representative of the FCPE in Cannes
“We are vehemently against it! There are 12 delegates on my list, I can assure you that we are all against this scandalous measure!”
, annoys a Cannes representative.
The latter, who prefers to speak on behalf of the Federation, does not understand how parents can systematically justify the absence of their children.
“It’s not because our child is sick that we systematically go to the doctor!
I have Doliprane and Spasfon at home, which is sometimes enough rather than paying 26 euros for a doctor's consultation, or even queuing for hours at the emergency room.
And then, it’s a budget that some people don’t have
,” she further argues.
“It would also be forgetting that some medical practices refuse to issue certificates.
In any case, in view of inflation and families who are in precariousness, it is an unacceptable financial sanction
,” retorts Khadija El Ouahabi, the president of the FCPE in the Alpes-Maritimes.
Also read: A private Muslim college in Nice should close at the start of the school year due to “opaque financing”
A petition
In response, the City of Cannes comes back to the number of unjustified absences that it intends to tolerate.
“We hear the arguments, that’s why we show flexibility.
On the other hand, we know very well that not all absences are linked to medical reasons.
Especially when we see that they are more and more frequent around school holidays, with families who decide to leave a little before or after and who still leave the children registered in the canteen
,” concludes Dominique Aude-Lasset.
For its part, the FCPE says it wants to launch a petition after the winter holidays with the hope that this measure will be further relaxed, or even repealed.