All primary students in Lille will get free school supplies

The aid initiative takes over the French city for the second year in a row

The City of Lille has announced that it will take care of the school supply provision free of charge for all the primary school pupils and kindergarten kids on its territory. The news is a welcome respite in the context of surging inflation for consumer goods and in the context of the fast-approaching start of the new school year – 1 September in France.

The aid initiative makes its return to the northern French city for the second year in a row.

Response to a dual challenge

The authorities explained that the measure aims to respond to a dual challenge: that of social justice and of ecological transition.

In terms of social responsibility, it aims to ensure that each child learns in the best conditions. School supplies, which are often excessively expensive and sources of discrimination and inequality within the school itself, are thus fully paid for by the City of Lille. 

Families no longer have lists of supplies to buy and only the schoolbag, the empty pencil case and the agenda - all things that the children like to choose personally - will remain the responsibility of the families.

In Lille, in priority education, the annual allocation per student will be 35 euros in kindergarten and 51.50 euros in elementary. In schools outside the priority education network, the annual allocation per pupil will be 30 euros in kindergarten and 46.50 euros in elementary school.

As for the ecological transition factor, the City encourages teachers to choose supplies with a low environmental impact (benefiting from an eco-label) and to develop their sustainable use. For the start of the 2021 school year, 80.45% of the supplies acquired were qualified by the supplier as eco-responsible.

This eco-responsible dynamic has been amplified over time thanks to the identification of good practices. The follow-up of pilot classes also make students even more aware of sustainable development, and the organization of Repair'cartables makes it possible to exchange and to repair cases and satchels.