In classrooms, the puzzle of mandatory flags

The Ministry of National Education had required schools to install French and European flags and the words of the Marseillaise in all classes. Because of logistical and financial problems, it is still far from being the case.

French and European flags, and the Marseillaise in all the classrooms. This is the wish expressed by Jean-Michel Blanquer and validated by an amendment published on February 2nd on the site of the National Assembly. For classrooms to be "the privileged place in which young people learn to respect the values ​​of the Republic," the ministry had decided to redecorate the halls of schools, colleges and high schools from 1 September. But in the urgency of this autumn 2019 eventful and the cost of these new attributes, most classes have not yet adorned. At the Ministry of National Education, it is hoped that the problem will be solved in the month of September.

"Flags School of Trust"

"Equip your classrooms with products that comply with Loi Blanquer – École de la confiance!" This is the special page "Blanquer law supply" which was launched by the opportunist site Doublet, a specialist in the sale of flags, particularly for town halls. local communities.

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If the company does not want to communicate on its turnover related to this reform, it has created an offer with three formulas, the cheapest at 14.50 euros for a poster of the Marseillaise adorned with two flags in PVC, the more expensive at 49 euros for a "wall frame with flags school of trust", the name of the law promulgated by Jean-Michel Blanquer. "Communities are our historical customers, it's our job, so when this law came out, we thought about these kits so that schools do not have to complicate their lives", explains one of the site's managers . For a school of fifty classes, the cost could vary from 725 to 2450 euros … A nice sum, not always available in the blink of an eye in a school.

Floating flags

It is the local authorities that manage school budgets. And for now, not all have plans for extending the budget for flags. "This new material will be included in the operating expenses of our institution which comes from the Hauts-de-France region and which has not planned to devote an envelope," confirms Florence Delannoy, general secretary of the national union of principals of National Education and principal of the Charlotte Perriand High School in Genech (59).

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For now, "we do not yet have flags in our classrooms," says the principal, who continues: "Initially, we were told about floating flags with brackets to fix the walls, there are had for 150 euros per class, which we could not pay. But finally, the ministry returned to something more simple, with simple posters with the words of the anthem and pictures of the French and European flags, which is quite feasible, even with simple photocopies in a first time. "If she acknowledges that the subject was" very little discussed by the rectors at pre-re-entry meetings, "the head explains that it will be" soon in compliance with the law. "

Printable kit

And Florence Delannoy is far from an isolated case. As it is recognized in the Ministry of Education, "with the start of the school year and the ongoing reforms, the staff initially had something else to think than to follow this amendment" even if the ministry says "confident in the fact that these displays will be relevant during the year. Printable kits could eventually be sent by email to schools so they can easily comply with this amendment which, for now, is far from unanimously respected.