"Sons Found Confidence After Attending Private Schools"
Education Sector Calls It a "Provocative Remark Against Public Education Institutions"
President Emmanuel Macron reshuffled his cabinet on the 11th (local time) to revitalize the government, but criticism arose in less than a week. This is because Amelie Oudea-Castera, who took over as Minister of Education following the new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, was revealed to have sent her children to prestigious private schools. In France, public education from kindergarten through high school is free.
On the 15th (local time), the French daily Lib?ration reported that Minister Castera sent all three of her sons to a Catholic private school in Paris. When Minister Castera visited a frontline school on the 12th and was asked by reporters why she sent her sons to private schools, she cited problems with the public school system. She said, "When my eldest son attended public school, my husband and I felt frustrated by the many hours that could not be substituted (in the public sector)," adding, "At some point, like hundreds of thousands of families, we became exhausted and decided to look for other solutions." She further added that after the children went to private schools, they not only received better education but also became happier, more stable, and confident.
However, the education sector and political circles criticized Minister Castera for disparaging public schools to justify sending her children to private schools. Sophie Benettitey, Secretary General of SNES-FSU, France's largest secondary teachers' union, criticized through the French media Le Figaro, saying, "This is an absurd and provocative statement against public education institutions and staff."
To make matters worse, it was additionally revealed that Minister Castera's eldest son only attended a public school nursery for six months during early childhood, which sparked further criticism. A teacher responsible for the minister's son at that nursery refuted, saying, "I never saw him absent as the minister claimed, and if that had happened, he would always have been replaced by another teacher." This teacher claimed that the minister's side transferred her son to a private school with the intention of having him skip a grade.
As criticism continued, Minister Castera eventually expressed regret, acknowledging that her remarks may have hurt the feelings of some public school teachers. She added, "I will always stand by public schools and their teachers." However, opposition parties are demanding her resignation. Eric Coquerel, a member of the 'La France Insoumise' (LFI), said, "He will not be able to endure this controversy for long," pointing out, "Sending a child to a private school and attacking public schools to justify it are completely different issues."
Meanwhile, President Macron appointed Gabriel Attal, who was the Minister of Sports, to also take on the role of Minister of Education to fill the vacancy left by Attal. In the education sector, doubts have been raised about the new minister's expertise in education, with concerns that education issues might be deprioritized by the government.
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