More parents apply out of catchment

NUMBERS OF REQUESTS TO SEND CHILDREN OUTSIDE OF THEIR CATCHMENT AREAS ARE UP 5% COMPARED TO 2008 REQUESTS by parents for their children to go to schools outside their catchment area are up

5% compared to last year. About 47,500 requests for a dérogation à la carte scolairewere put in for children entering the first year of secondary school (sixième) compared to 45,000 last

year. As for young people entering the first year of lycée, seconde, requests went up to 38,500 compared to 37,000. According to the government’s schools chief Jean-Louis Nembrini about 72%

of parents had their requests to send their child to a school outside the catchment area accepted for the sixième, and 65% for seconde. The Sarkozy government made it easier for parents to

ask for dérogation instead of following the rule of sending children to the nearest school, with a relaxation of rules last year. The right to dérogation is however still limited by the

number of places available in schools. Where there is too much demand for a school there is a priority system including disabled children, ones with educational grants for social reasons or

academic merit and ones with siblings at the school. The government says the measures allow for a better social mix in schools, however many critics, notably from unions and opposition

parties, say it can have the opposite effect as better-off families are more likely to push to get children into the best-performing schools while poorer families continue to send children

to the nearest ones. To seek a dérogation a parent has to apply to their local education authority (académie) in the spring of the year when their child will start school.