Le Figaro Nantes
As a
“democrat”
, the diocesan director of Catholic education in Loire-Atlantique took note of the annual allocation for colleges voted by elected officials on Monday.
However, he still cannot digest this drop.
For an hour, during a budget session, the subject animated the hemicycle, provoking numerous reactions from the opposition.
Each year, the Department supports 57 private colleges through a flat-rate contribution.
This helps cover part of the operating costs (material and personnel).
This year, this
“day school package”
amounts to an average of 562 euros per student, or 7 euros less than last year.
Enough to boost Catholic teaching for several months, which has been mobilized to the end.
Petition and school leaders in the street
This weekend, a petition entitled
“Let’s mobilize for a fair and equitable educational future”
collected 13,600 signatures.
Monday morning, a few hours before the fateful decision, school heads met in front of the gates of the department's hotel in Nantes.
“We regret the drop in the package because we do not understand it.
With charges exploding, lowering the package today is incomprehensible.
Who can imagine that running a college costs less than in 2023?
,
Frédéric Delemazure, the diocesan director, is surprised to tell Le
Figaro .
“Faced with the proposed calculation, we raised a certain number of questions which were never answered,”
he assures, exposing a concern for transparency.
The one who presents himself as the spokesperson for the directors and the OGEC (Catholic Education Management Organization) even offered external expertise, paid for by the private sector, in order to understand the reasons for this calculation.
“If at the end of the day, we understand and we agree, no problem,”
he continues
.
“They are not partridges of the year, they are used to negotiating with you because there is continuity
,” added Laurent Turquois, leader of Démocratie 44 (center-right), defending himself during the departmental session at the start of the week.
“If you do not accept the outstretched hand of the diocese, you generate doubt.
If you generate doubt, I don’t know which side has good faith
,” he continued.
A calculation at the heart of tensions
“I don’t know which side is bad faith. There have been no new regulations to calculate the contributions of departments to private education under contract in our territory in 2023. The calculation rules that apply have been the same for several years
,” the advisor immediately retorted. Claire Tramier, vice-president of Families and Child Protection, who had not planned to intervene.
Comments complementary to those of his colleague Vincent Danis, vice-president of Education and educational policy, responsible for presenting the deliberation containing other measures.
“This proposal was none other than the result of a calculation and not the consequence of a political decision
,” he insisted, specifying that the calculation was based on the N-2 accounts and the N-1 workforce. .
“By adding optional or non-optional expenses, catering assistance, rental of sports equipment, travel to swimming pools, educational activities, etc., etc., all contributions exceed the amount of 700 euros per student , which can be compared to the national average of €692 for the year 2023. No desire to treat public and private differently,”
he added.
“I note that a certain number of elected officials from the minority give more credit to the words of the diocesan director than to the work of the department's services. I have confidence in the calculation that was made
,” regretted President (PS) Michel Ménard, just before 38 elected officials voted for and 24 against.
He tried to reassure by talking about an increase in the package for 2025, and recalled that additional resources for colleges having financial difficulties due to energy had been proposed.
Subject to presenting supporting accounts.
In a democratic society, we still have the right to understand what we sign
Frédéric Delemazure, diocesan of Catholic Education of Loire-Atlantique
An argument which made the diocesan director raise eyebrows.
“They refused to consider that part of the cash is intended for real estate.
Among the public, 100% support the college operation.
For us, it also serves real estate.”
In any case, this drop will have repercussions: the OGECs will have to make savings in the budget devoted to real estate.
Dissatisfied, the departmental director of Catholic education, who will certainly end up having to sign the agreement because of
"subsidy blackmail"
, however does not want to talk about war and assures, like the opposing party , search for dialogue.
“If Mr. Ménard opens the door to say, what we are proposing is not negotiable, that is not an opening of the door,”
notes Frédéric Delemazure.
While President Michel Ménard said it again on Monday:
“if I had been told that the package was 20 or 30 euros more than the year before, I would have done it.
Calculations are calculations.
It can’t be heads I win, tails you lose
. ”
His opponent wants to see the accounts.
He assures that in the region, private high schools have also suffered reductions in real estate allocations, but that this was done in complete transparency, leading them to sign the agreement.
“We cannot sign an agreement that commits us for five years without understanding.
In a democratic society, we still have the right to understand what we are signing,”
he regrets, feeling stuck.