The Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, assured Saturday that the closure of certain art schools in crisis, mentioned this week during a hearing at the National Assembly, was not
“an objective”
but a
“risk »
and called for a mobilization of all stakeholders concerned.
“I mentioned the closure of local art schools not as an objective but as a risk if all partners do not mobilize
,” the minister declared in a press release.
“I do not want to respond to the crisis (...) neither with a generic strategy which ignores the details of the situations, nor with purely emergency responses which would not resolve the fundamental questions
,” she added.
Also read: Rachida Dati at Le Figaro: “When local heritage is abandoned, people have a feeling of being downgraded”
Before the deputies, Ms. Dati had mentioned the 99 public cultural higher education schools, in particular
“some of these art schools, in particular for the territorial schools, which are in a crisis situation, despite the confirmed commitment of the State"
.
“We must stop with the policy of pieces of string”
which does not
“resolve any fundamental problem”
, she stressed, invoking
“very poorly spent public money”
and pleading for
“high-performance schools, with the same opportunities of success, and the same openness to all
.
“If it is necessary to close certain schools”
no longer having
“the means to offer a quality framework, perhaps that can be the case”
, she continued, relying on
“evaluation bodies »
dedicated.
Founded
“by the cities where they are anchored”
, the territorial art schools have always benefited from the support of the ministry, which
“has increased by 14% over the last ten years”
, argued Rachida Dati.
“They are at the heart of my thinking for the future
,” she added, praising their
“proven social utility
. ”
“It is together that we will be able to perpetuate and strengthen”
their
“key role”
for
“a public service of higher cultural education
,” said the minister.
Her predecessor, Rima Abdul Malak, granted emergency aid in March 2023 to the 33 territorial higher art schools, which welcome some 8,400 students, and launched a mission on their
“structural challenges”
.
The latter had highlighted in October the
“non-existent room for maneuver”
for establishments with budgets reduced to their minimum.
Among the 43 higher plastic arts schools in France, 10 are national schools under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, and 33 are territorial schools.