Every year, it is the same blow of bamboo for the parents who educate their children in a private establishment: the bill (salty) of the canteen. According to the National Federation of Catholic Educational Institutions Management Organizations (Fnogec), in 2020, the average price of a meal in private kindergartens under contract with the State was 4.90 euros. It was 6.10 euros in college, and 6.50 euros in general high school.
“In many places, the cost of catering is greater than the contribution to running costs [c’est-à-dire les frais d’inscription]. And if we have two or three children in school, there is generally no sliding scale, ”notes Gilles Demarquet, president of the Association of Parents of Free Education (Apel). And the note could become more difficult, according to Philippe Delorme, secretary general of Catholic education: “The new obligations created by the Egalim law concerning the improvement of the quality of foodstuffs will generate an additional cost of school catering. Catering companies are already starting to request the signing of so-called “Egalim” endorsements, with increases of up to 40 cents per meal, ”he said on Thursday at the back-to-school press conference. Catholic education.
The entire cost of a meal billed to families
High prices that contrast with the price of meals in public establishments. What Philippe Delorme easily explains: “If meal prices are low in public establishments, it is because communities grant subsidies, in the form of social assistance, to families. But very few communities offer the same help to our students ”. Private establishments therefore charge the entire cost of a meal to families.
And the difference can be substantial. In Ile-de-France for example, the average cost of a meal is 9 euros. But the rate provided for families enrolling a high school student in a public establishment takes into account the family quotient, and therefore varies from 0.50 to 4.09 euros. “There is no legal obstacle to the support of municipalities for catering costs for private students, but it is a political choice. It is inconsistent, unfair and discriminatory, ”criticizes Philippe Delorme.
Some parents waive registration in the private sector
Ditto concerning the 1 euro canteen, set up in 2019 and subsidized by the State as part of the national strategy for the prevention and fight against poverty. A device that targeted establishments in fragile towns in rural areas. “However, it is not accessible to private establishments. However, we have 2,570 schools in these municipalities. They educate 343,000 students who have been forgotten, ”underlines Philippe Delorme.
In the end, the cost of the canteen has become an element that parents scrutinize before choosing private for their children. “It is even a considerable obstacle to registration. And for the most modest families who still decide to register their children, they bleed to be able to pay, ”insists Gilles Demarquet. In some places, school leaders try to tap into the solidarity fund to support a few families. “But this cannot be done on a large scale, and our establishments are hampered in their desire for social diversity”, considers Philippe Delorme.
There remains the resourcefulness: “Families organize themselves to have the children lunch at home for lunch. But this is quite rare since generally, both parents work, ”observes Gilles Demarquet. It is also difficult for middle and high school students to come home for lunch when they have only one hour of beating at the meridian break or when they live in a rural area, far from the establishment. As for the idea of bringing his lunch box, it is made almost impossible by the health constraints related to food.