Brigitte Macron calls for the return of the school uniform – thus stabbing a wasp’s nest Number of victims after attack on high-rise buildings in Dnipro is increasing – the night update without photos

She is the popular half of the Macron couple, and as a former French teacher, she is also heard speaking out on school matters. And Brigitte Macron (69) did that very clearly this week. She wore a uniform when she was fifteen, she said when she visited the newspaper Le Parisien.

The skirt and sweater were navy blue, “and it looked good on me”. She added that this was not the only reason why she was generally in favor of wearing the uniform in French schools, “provided that these clothes are simple but not conservative”.

The uniform-school uniform debate is not new in France, but it has hardly gained momentum in recent years. Brigitte Macron’s statement now seems to be a sting in a hornet’s nest in school politics. Almost all parties were heard. And the majority in a negative way. School uniforms in France are mainly associated with the – very numerous – private schools. But they have also been introduced by individual public schools, even in overseas territories such as Guadeloupe.

Brigitte Macron summed up the benefits of having the same school clothes for everyone: “They cancel out the differences and save time because you don’t have to think about what to wear every morning.” In addition, they are cheap. “Le Parisien” cites the example of a school in Provins (east of Paris), where four polo shirts, two pullovers, a sweatshirt, two trousers and, as the case may be, a pair of shorts or a skirt are available for 137 euros. That’s less than a pair of branded sneakers.

Majority of the French for school uniforms

The timing of Brigitte Macron’s appearance in the media was carefully chosen: she took the wind out of the sails of the right-wing populist Marine Le Pen, who presented her own school policy proposals to the National Assembly on Thursday. With Le Pen also mentioning the introduction of the school uniform, the left now accuses Brigitte Macron of venturing into the political arena of the extreme right. Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron, who have never compromised with lepenists, represent a majority of the population when it comes to school uniforms: in a survey, 63 percent of the population – 67 percent women and 60 percent men – voted in favor of wearing of a uniform school uniforms.

There is an argument that the First Lady does not discuss openly: school uniforms are said to be a tried and tested remedy against ‘Islamic’ clothing such as the headscarf or the abaya, an ankle-length overgarment. And against the endless discussion whether these are religious symbols.

However, Education Minister Pap Ndiaye, unlike the president’s wife, has made it clear that he rejects the general introduction of school uniforms in France. Local exceptions are allowed, and that’s enough. (aargauerzeitung.ch)