After having eaten well in the canteen, all the children work out in the schoolyard. All, except twelve, for the sole reason that they are disabled. Left to their own devices, due to lack of staff, they cannot take advantage of the lunch break with their friend. This discriminatory scenario would inevitably have taken place in the schools of Villeneuve-Loubet, if the City had not “maintained recruitment” of three specialized guides.
However, since the start of the 2024 school year, these accompanying students with disabilities (AESH) must be financially supported by the State, during the lunch break. A regulatory framework that would “Today gone astray”according to Patricia Borne, deputy mayor of Villeneuve-Loubet responsible for Inclusion.
Advance costs, without knowing the reimbursement conditions
During the municipal council on Thursday, December 5, she castigated the Ministry of Education for having hired only two agents, where twelve children (1) need special monitoring. To remedy this lack of staff, the elected official asked for “ensured the continuity of support for children during school hours, at a cost of 1,645 euros”. The assembly consented to this in a unanimous vote. It remains to be seen “what are the reimbursement conditions” by the State, of these “advanced fees” by the municipality. “An email” was sent to the academy about this. The latter confirms having been contacted: “The work must continue, for the sake of an educational alliance, in consultation with the City.” However, the rectorate did not respond to the criticisms made to it and did not respond to the questions submitted by Nice-Morning.
The representative for Inclusion, who also seems to have no answer, wonders about “the terms of allocation [des AESH]modalities which do not allow us to understand why only two AESH are granted to the municipality.” Before getting outraged: “Without these staff during the lunch break, we call into question the educational inclusion of these students with specific needs, necessary for their integration and their well-being.”
The councilor attacks the State
“We respond to everything that the State does not do, even on the level of humanity”adds the mayor. Virulent, deadpan, Lionnel Luca (Les Républicains) did not fail to attack another ministry: that of Justice. “In the end, this creates a note on personnel which was not anticipated at the start of the year when the budget was voted on. This is our drift in the payroll as the Court of Auditors says…”
However, this compensation for the municipalities is not going to improve. The budget presented by the Barnier government provided for the recruitment of 2000 AESH. A measure put on hold since the vote on the motion of censure by the National Assembly on December 4.
In the Alpes-Maritimes, this should have an impact on the opening of around twenty AESH positions, a measure that the academic director of national education services announced to Nice-Morningin November.
(1) Of these twelve children identified by educational staff, only eight are notified by the departmental center for disabled people as needing AESH, which further limits state aid. Of the eleven supporters mobilized, nine agents are thus recruited by the City.
