the essential
A change in the aid provided by the municipality to Agen families for catering in private schools has rekindled the division between the left-wing opposition and Jean Dionis’ majority on the public-private issue.
At Agen town hall, the opposition is from the left. It therefore does not compromise on certain issues which are in its DNA. A deliberation (1) on aid to Agen families for school meals in private primary education establishments under association contract recently revived in the municipal council the old debate on the financing of private schools. Even if, Mayor Jean Dionis mischievously points out, the deliberation in question “reduces support for private schools out of concern for fairness”.
Opposition councilor Marjorie Delcros explains her camp’s position. “There is no legal obligation to help families who choose to send their child to private school when the offer exists in the public sector.” His colleague Pierre Dupont adds: “It’s an ideological disagreement. But not only. It is also financial. You (the majority) often explain to us that the user must be the payer and not the taxpayer. There, you choose to have a service financed by the taxpayer and not by the user. I add that the economic model of the private school is different. They have a source of income that public schools do not have. This is billing to schools. This public expenditure is therefore not necessary.”
A rather “virtuous” deliberation
The mayor concedes that the economic model is not the same “But,” he says, “from the moment that national education recognizes them as respecting the same programs, the same educational paths, they must benefit from the same advantages. And then this deliberation is rather virtuous.” Why?
Since 1998 in Agen, a system has been in place. Emmanuelle Cugurno, departing school affairs assistant (2), presents it: “The community compensates the difference between the rate per meal charged by the private school and the rate applicable within a public school based on the quotient family of the family. However, it turns out that this price charged by private schools is today significantly higher than the average price of meals purchased by the city of Agen, i.e. €4.43.
“It is also a measure that promotes diversity”
The aid granted to children from Agen in private schools is thus higher than that granted to those in public schools! This imbalance cannot continue, it was necessary to change the paradigm and redefine the basis of the aid granted to the private sector. The services took care of it thanks to a clever calculation. From September 2024, the new software will be in place. Depending on the family quotient, there will be a remaining amount to pay for parents whose children attend private schools.
“Beyond ideology,” notes Emmanuelle Cugurno, “we help those who have no choice. It is also a measure that promotes diversity.”
