Hérault / High schools. Free admission, revegetation, sport: regional elected officials are making their comeback

This Monday, September 19, the regional elected officials made their return to the banns of the great Montpellier high school Jean Mermoz. As good students, they insisted on recalling the devices set up by the Occitania Region in favor of high school students in, in particular, three main areas: purchasing powerorientation andadaptation to climate change.

€13.5 million for the additional energy cost

 » The international context is difficult, and some things, like the rising price of energy, from fuel and of food, will have a strong impact on the Region’s budget ». An assessed impact, for 335 regional high schoolsover €13.5 million. “But we still kept this strong commitment to Carole Delga : to offer, throughout the territory, thehas the cheapest income in France », summarizes the regional councilor Christian Assaf.

Restore purchasing power to families by making the start of the new school year less expensive, a vast project that the community has carried out over several years to offer, for this start of the 2022 school year, a bouquet of services and aid that are quite exceptional for a Region, ranging from free textbooks to free transport . : “It is a political choice, to ensure that the start of the school year is synonymous with more social justice for every young person in Occitania”, asserts Christian Assaf.

« Free transport is also a way to fight against inequalities thanks to a strong intervention on purchasing power »

Yellow card

With the Youth Card, the Occitanie Region estimates that high school students save €500. In particular, it allows the free supply of school textbooks or that of the first professional equipment, i.e. 280,942 textbooks provided this year and 2,223 first equipment; a reading aid of €20, aid for the purchase of a UNSS sports license of €15, and of course the free computer, provided in 225 and in private high schools (subject to family resources ), i.e. 12,615 Ordis supplied to Hérault high school students.

Coaches: it’s rolling for the Hérault

Another source of savings: transportation. Thierry Mathieu, regional councilor and president of Hérault Transport, confirms first of all that the start of the school year went well. “France is facing a shortage of coach drivers which could very seriously affect young people from Hérault and spoil their return to school. But the Region has anticipated this phenomenon, in particular with training offers”. To sum up, things are “rolling” well for the start of the school year.

A saving of 48 to 315 € per year

The elected official recalls that the Occitanie Region has established free public transport in regional school transport for pupils from kindergarten to high school. « 170,000 young people thus travel for free every day in Occitania thanks to this effort by the community, including 21,000 in Hérault, specifies Thierry Mathieu, i.e. a saving of 48 to 315 € compared to 2017 prices. « 

« The Young Ecological Income for 18-29 year olds: encouraging young people to move towards green jobs and supporting them in training or business creation »

The elected official emphasizes the coverage of the offer which serves 99% of the Hérault municipalities, i.e. 333 municipalities. He is nevertheless concerned about the impact of the crisis on the Region’s finances: « The increase in fuel will have a strong impact which will reach several million euros, but we are working to find solutions so as not to modify our prices. Free transport is also a means of fighting against inequalities thanks to a strong intervention on purchasing power. »

> The free liO regional trains are a success with more than 40,000 young people already benefiting, i.e. 500,000 tickets to date in 2022: « A record », assures Thierry Mathieu.

The Region is also working on the training offer and announces a new initiative: Mobile Guidance Houses, i.e. two equipped buses, with guidance professionals on board, who will meet young people (pupils, students but also the unemployed) with an offer around trades and training with two priority sectors: rural areas and priority neighborhoods (QPV).

An international high school for Montpellier?

The elected Marie-Alice Pelé also insists on the Young Ecological Income -REJ- intended for 18-29 year olds which can reach €1,000: “Its objective is to encourage young people to move towards green professions and to support them in training or business creation”.

Finally, Patrice Canayer, despite a defeat of the MHB the day before at the FDI Stadium, came valiantly to discuss the Region’s strategy in sport and physical activity in high schools. The elected official in charge of the attractiveness of the territory confirms first of all that the City of Montpellier is determined to obtain an international high school. “This corresponds to the development of the city which welcomes many foreign researchers and scientists for whom this equipment is important. »

« Food and crisis: we must maintain the cost of meals and the quality in canteens, the health of our young people is at stake »

High schools rented in the summer

The MHB coach also confirms that the Region encourages the practice of physical activity in high schools, for example by supporting enrollment in a UNSS club. Patrice Canayer further explains that the Region is launching a new “offer” concerning high schools which will be “rented” during the summer: “The establishments have very good facilities, in particular sports facilities… The idea is to allow activities to be organized there. paying for educational or societal purposes via Region/Establishment agreements”, announces the elected official.

Climate: more than 230,000 trees planted

The final word is for Françoise Matheron, who works on the environmental and climate issues, subjects on which the Region intends to accelerate. Despite rising food costs, the Region intends to maintain its policy of promoting local and organic products in canteens. « We must maintain the cost of the meal and the quality, it is about the health of our young people » she assures, also announcing the revegetation of the courses of the high schools. “It has started: the objective is to plant as many trees in the high schools of Occitanie as there are high school students”. That’s more than 230,000…

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