the Catholic private sector signs a protocol with the ministry for more social diversity

National Education signed, Wednesday, May 17, a memorandum of understanding on social and academic diversity at school with Catholic education announced several months ago, by which the private sector under contract undertakes in particular to increase the share of its scholarship students, but without obligation.

Minister Pap Ndiaye, who said he wanted to make social diversity a priority of his action, last week presented minimum measures to strengthen it in public establishments, suggesting a lack of political support on this subject. The signing of this protocol represents the second part of its announcements on diversity, expected for several months.

“This has not been done since the Lang-Cloupet agreements [sur le recrutement la formation des professeurs du privés en 1993] : the ministry and Catholic education have gathered around the table to move forward together”, welcomed Pap Ndiaye on Twitter.

“Encourage” to change practices

“It’s the first time there’s been a protocol of this order on diversity and that’s a good thing”, added the general secretary of Catholic education, Philippe Delorme. For him, “it is the mark of a commitment and an ability to work together” with the ministry, “the interest of young people”.

According to this protocol, Catholic education, which represents 95% of private establishments under contract, undertakes in particular to “incite” its establishments at “generalize the practice of modulating the amounts of family contributions according to the parents’ income”. For this, it gives a quantified objective: the number of establishments “offering modulated contributions will increase, at least, by 50% in five years”. The protocol also commits to “increase the share of scholarship students by encouraging school heads to encourage enrolment” of these students.

The text also specifies a trajectory for this: Catholic education undertakes to “double the rate of scholarship students in five years”but “in establishments where families benefit from social assistance equal to that which they receive when they enroll their child in a corresponding public establishment”. The protocol thus returns the ball to the local authorities which have control over these aids for the canteen or school transport.