Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Political correctness hits France, results suck

My children are enrolled in a Catholic school. It is technically considered private but today it was revealed to me how public it actually is.

In all fairness, it's not their fault. The system is such that if a private school wants financial support from the government, it is considered sous-contrat - under contract to the government, and therefore obliged to follow certain rules. The academic program set up by Education Nationale must be followed, a certain number of hours of school must take place, and instructors must be of a certain qualification. Nothing bad there.

In a small city like Laval, the schools don't have their own kitchens. The city of Laval makes the food for all the primary schools and delivers it daily. Each day, the boys' teachers tally the number of students who will be eating at the cafeteria the following day (a system of tickets I discussed in the chef de famille post) and within that total is a subtotal of muslim students. There are 3 in Boy1's class. Don't ask me why their parents have chosen a Catholic school, I have no idea. I have no problem with diversity in the classroom. I will admit I find it strange to see a mother with a headscarf come to pick her son up at St. Joseph's. But that's just evidence of my small-mindedness. Anyway, back to the food thing. The subtotal of muslim students receives, the following day, a specially prepared meal (no pork, for example, on days when it's on the menu). Again, no problem.

Here's my problem. The boys at at the cafeteria on Friday. What was on the menu? Braised pork roast. On a friday. So, the muslim students were given an alternative meal, but the Catholics, again, IN A CATHOLIC SCHOOL, were not. Many Catholics aren't strict about the no meat on fridays thing. But some are. And besides, it's the principle of the thing.

Wish me luck, I'm going to call City Hall right now.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

You must have too much free time on your hands

Eric said...

Go get em tiger. But speaking as a Catholic, I must say that it is really important during Lent. The Vatican dropped the whole no meat on fridays thing a during the rest of the liturgical year.

Anonymous said...

You Go Girl! I praise your determination. . .and sometimes it's the "point of things" that really matters the most. And, going off of Eric's post - how do they handle Friday's during Lent? It is so good to know that the Nicole I've known since I was 5 months old is still as spunky as ever! Please let us know what City Hall says. (But, I did get a laugh at Zeb's comment!)

Lorraine said...

You go girl. And Eric is strictly speaking correct but the fact is that JPII did suggest that no meat on Fridays all through the year wouldn't be a bad idea. Consequently, you are absolutely correct in pointing out to the powers that be that meatless Fridays would accomodate those who are more strict in their practise. (That would never be us, though. Fridays without pizza? Pizza without meat? Only in Lent, for sure).

Anonymous said...

I figure by now you have called City Hall and they have changed their whole way of thinking just because you called.

Anonymous said...

Zeb - your comments always make me laugh!

Nicole said...

Zeb - Actually I have no time on my hands but manage to find things like this to take up too much of it so I'm behind in work and housework. Re your second lameass comment, as a matter of fact, they did. The director was very nice and said, "You're right, of course. Minimally, it should at least be a no-meat policy on fridays during Lent. Speak to your school's principal and he can ok it through the proper channels." Which could mean it never gets done, but I doubt it. The principal is a very principled kind of guy. So there.

Eric, Lorraine, and Beth - I just love your support.

Charlie - Eh oui.

Anonymous said...

Even if the principal doesn't do anything - Congratulations on your City Hall victory - at least they listened and agreed with you!

Anonymous said...

Nicole my princess of course they said no problem that is what all politicans say to people who complain. Let me know if they actually do anything.

Undercover Mother said...

Well, from the capital of PC, the birthplace, the cradle of PC civilization, we now have 7th grade girls wearing burquas, for fun, in Oregon, where I live.

http://www.local6.com/spotlight/9992101/detail.html

Being that we have a lot longer history of PC-ness, we have had the chance to degrade much farther.