They demand more flexibility. Nearly 2,000 parents of students signed the petition denouncing the new organization of evening after-school activities in public schools in Lyon (Rhône), called “Peps”, and voted on by the municipal council on March 21. Families are concerned about the timetables which will be put in place at the start of the school year in September 2024 and which require leaving school no earlier than 5:45 p.m. for children in nursery school and 6 p.m. for those in elementary school, compared to 5:30 p.m. Currently.
“The time spent in after-school activities will be extended, but it is for the good of the children,” says Stéphanie Léger, the education assistant, who explains that the new organization will make it possible to offer schoolchildren better quality leisure activities. , punctuated by more cultural and sporting activities.
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If the elected official's argument is heard, the parents of students are concerned about the state of fatigue of their children after ten hours spent at school and the lack of time to do homework at school. the House. They also regret the staggered departure times for siblings attending nursery and primary school. Finally, the new organization of extracurriculars will have a real financial impact, according to them. What Stéphanie Léger contests, ensuring on the contrary that the effort required, which remains linked to daily family life, will not be more important than previously.
The parents of the students who signed the petition are now hoping for a gesture from the city. They are calling for more flexibility for extracurriculars in order to allow a first departure possible between 5:20 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Will they be heard?