Article by Violaine Morin: “The French president wants to restructure how schoolchildren’s time is managed, tackling a highly sensitive issue. Teachers’ unions called it a diversion. The plan had been rumored quietly for some time, but it is now official: President Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday, May 2, speaking to Le Parisien, the launch of a citizens’ convention on “the time of children” and “the organization of the day for children aged 3 to 18.”
“It seems necessary to me to ensure that the organization of our pupils’ days is more conducive to their development and learning, and that a balance is found to also facilitate family life,” said Macron, adding that he hoped for “numerous agreements among all those affected […], parents, the educational and extracurricular community, local authorities and even tourism professionals.”
The format of citizens’ conventions involves a randomly selected panel of French citizens meeting with stakeholders, as was the case for the two previous conventions on climate and end-of-life care. The convention could start in early June and last into the fall, as Le Parisien first reported, information also confirmed to Le Monde by the Elysée Palace. Its organization will be entrusted to the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), an advisory body in which unions, employers and nonprofits are represented.The prime minister’s office confirmed to Le Monde that a letter with instructions had been sent to the CESE…(More)”