New law on private school funding
Mairies must pay towards education of children in private schools outside their areas – but only in restricted cases
A NEW law on private school funding is a further erosion of the principle of the secular state, opposition politicians claim.
Parliament has passed a law retaining a controversial 2004 rule that mairies should pay towards private schooling of children who attend schools outside their areas.
The idea was unpopular with many local councils who resented taking money out of their education budgets for private schools – many of which are Catholic.
The new law makes concessions to secular opponents, setting limits on when mairies must pay, but has been criticised for legalising a situation that runs counter to the separation of church and state by the French constitution.
The funding concerns payments of on average €600 to private schools that are “under contract” with the state, which go towards upkeep of schools. The government pays teachers’ salaries.
Fees for parents are far less than a private school “outside contract,” such as international ones.
Local authority payments will be obligatory only if there are no state school places in the commune for the child, for medical reasons, a lack of after-school facilities or a canteen at the local state school and if siblings already attend the private school. Parents’ work commitments may also be taken into consideration.
Mairies have to pay with no conditions if child attends a private school in their own area.
Education Minister Luc Chatel said it was a “law which will calm the situation down and bring and equilibrium.”
Opposition politicians however criticised the changes as not going far enough to reduce expenses to mairies and said it was a blow to the “Republican principle of laïcité.”
