FRANCE: Parisian suburb accused of gender stereotyping over school satchels

A long-running and controversial campaign by France's new education minister, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, to end sexual stereotyping in schools appears to have missed one wealthy Paris suburb.

 

The centre-right mayor of Puteaux, on the left bank of the Seine, caused a storm after handing out pink satchels for girls and blue for boys before la rentrée – the national return to school on Tuesday.

 

As well as pencil cases, felt pens, pencils and scissors, the free supplies given to about 4,000 pupils of infant and primary schools also included a jewellery-making kit for the girls and a robot-making kit for the boys.

 

The colour coding was seen by some as provocative, coming one week after Vallaud-Belkacem's appointment. Earlier this year, rightwing groups who demonstrated against same-sex marriage attacked an experimental reform introduced by Vallaud-Belkacem, then minister for women's rights, youth and sport, into 275 primary schools aimed at combating gender stereotyping.

 

Christophe Grébert, a local councillor from the centre MoDem party, accused the town hall of blatant stereotyping.

 

"Why only two colours? … So there's no mistaking gender, I suppose," he wrote on his blog, adding: "It's a waste of public money. It's not a political message … it's just stupid and idiotic stereotyping."

 

He told journalists: "It's a bit silly and old-fashioned. It would have been better to offer the children a selection of colours."

 

Mayor Joëlle Ceccaldi-Raynaud, who has run the town hall since 2004, accused critics of making a fuss about nothing.

 

"I absolutely stand by my decision … I don't see why there has to be a row about this," she said.

 

Last year Puteaux town hall – which controls part of the La Défense business district, making it one of the richest communes in France – handed out black schoolbags to all the children.

 

On Tuesday, Vallaud-Belkacem refused to be drawn into the row, saying local authorities should "promote sexual equality".

 

"At a time of financial constraint, I'm sure offering free school supplies to families by the local authorities is most welcome," she said, during a visit to a school in one of Paris's poorest banlieues.

 

Jean-François Martins, the deputy mayor of Paris in charge of sport and tourism, attacked the choice of coloured satchels on Twitter. "Haven of cronyism and sexual stereotypes … welcome to Puteaux," he wrote.