Back-to-school allowance: Castex in turn dissociates itself from Blanquer’s remarks – teller report

After Emmanuel Macron, after Olivier Véran, it’s Jean Castex’s turn to react. The Prime Minister assured Saturday evening that he was not in “the mind” from the government of “control” the use of the back-to-school allowance, after controversial remarks by Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, who had suggested that it was sometimes intended for the purchase of“flat screens”.

“We’re not going to go and see if they [les allocataires, ndlr] bought school materials with income other than this allowance … It’s impossible to control, it’s not our mind “, declared the Prime Minister, guest of the program “On est en direct” on France 2.

“The objective is to support, it is a measure of purchasing power intended for poor families or in need. It is a useful allowance”, insisted the head of government Castex.

Asked last Sunday on the proposal of a member to pay the back-to-school allowance in the form of a voucher, Jean-Michel Blanquer considered that it was a “interesting idea”, deserving “to be studied”.

“We know very well, if we face it, that sometimes there are larger purchases of flat screens in September than at other times”, he added on France 3, before repeating his comments during the week.

These claims sparked an uproar from the opposition, and Emmanuel Macron called on Thursday from Marseille not to “stigmatize” families in the use of this school allowance. “We would be blind or naive to think that all of what each household receives in back-to-school allowance is donated to buy supplies or children’s books.”, however tempered the head of state. Corn “We must not enter into a system of social control where there would be a form of mistrust that is established with regard to families”, he had specified.

The next day, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran also distanced himself from his government colleague on Friday, recalling that it was his ministry which distributed this allowance.

“Maybe there is a part of this money that is not just used to buy school supplies for the children. So what?”, launched the minister on France Blue. “Those who receive this allowance are by definition families who receive less than 1,500 euros net per month, with children […] It is therefore families who do not replace a schoolbag because it is back to school, but because it is worn or broken “, he again noted.

“So I’m not shocked that families are using part of these allowances to pay a dragging electricity bill, to take a little more gas to go on weekends or to decide to stock up on food. which will enhance family meals that are not festive on a daily basis “, he concluded.