The Defender of Rights, Claire Hédon, is concerned about the obstacles to the right to compulsory education, saying she is “particularly vigilant” to five cases of figs, including the all too recurrent problem of non-assignment of many high school students. “The institution of the Defender of Rights has already been alerted to the situation of several students still awaiting an assignment in the week preceding the start of the 2023 school year and remains vigilant on the rapid resolution of these situations”, indicates the Defender of Rights. in a statement released Thursday.
This problem affects several hundred students every year, who cannot go to class when the school year begins in September.
A “deficiency” in the reception of disabled children
Another point raised by Claire Hédon and her assistant Defender of Children, Eric Delemar, “a real deficiency in the reception of students with disabilities at school”, a problem highlighted in June by the children’s rights committee of the UN, which asked France to improve the inclusion of these students.
“School establishments, faced with an often very high number of pupils per class, (…) are not allocated the necessary means to allow inclusion that respects the rights and best interests of the children concerned”, notes the Defender of rights.
Children from very precarious backgrounds without assignments
It is also concerned about children in precarious situations, recalling that it is illegal to refuse schooling to children housed in social hotels or living in precarious accommodation, as well as those from families of travellers.
Concerning this community, Claire Hédon also alerts “on the worrying data relating to the school dropout of children”, wishing the adoption of measures to remedy it.
A more complex access to school overseas
Finally, the Defender of Rights recalls the persistent problems affecting foreign minors, who often have to wait several months to be educated “in the absence of sufficient places within the educational units for incoming allophone pupils”.
Last problem highlighted, “persistent breaches of rights for overseas children”, starting with Mayotte where the number of out-of-school minors is “estimated at more than 15,000”, according to the press release.
“The Defender of Rights has been calling for several years for urgent action to be taken to guarantee the right to education for all these minors”, indicates the press release, recalling that difficulties also affect the French West Indies or Guyana, in particular in terms of school transport.