In front of their little brick of milk chocolate, this Monday morning, in the refectory of their school canteen, Inès, Aïko and their friends are busy buttering their sliced ​​brioche slices, before covering them with strawberry jam. Twice a week, all students of Germaine-Tillion school, in the Toulouse district of Pradettes, can have a free breakfast in their establishment.

Established by the government two years ago to reduce food inequalities, this measure has been deployed in the seven schools of the Pink City since the start of the school year. A first experiment was set up several months ago, but had been slowed down due to the health crisis. “It fills our stomachs, especially since we spend most of the time in second service in the canteen”, explain in chorus the students of CM2, who are not pushed to eat if they do not have it. desire.

While for some it’s a snack, for others it’s the opportunity to have a real breakfast when they don’t have it at home. A study by Crédoc in fact showed in 2015 that nearly 30% of children arrived without having eaten anything at school.

Pedagogy and equal opportunities

“Some parents told me that their children did not take it, and we realized that they were hungry. During their breakfast, they are soothed and it allows them to last until 11:30. This also allows us to carry out a project on oral hygiene, we thus combine education and equal opportunities, ”says Pascale Salek, teacher in the small section.

Launch of # breakfasts free at school in the city of @Toulouse !

🍊🍞 As here, at the Germaine Tillion school, a number of Toulouse students will benefit from it, so that everyone can start their learning day in the best conditions. #Equal opportunities pic.twitter.com/JF4cCLq8aC

– Nathalie Elimas (@avyelimas) December 6, 2021

At his side, two parents lend a hand to install the children or write the letter of their first name on their brioche with jam. “It teaches them to have a balanced and good breakfast”, welcomes a mother present this Wednesday.

A testimony shared with Nathalie Elimas, the Secretary of State in charge of priority education, take stock of the redeployment of this device beyond priority education establishments following the health crisis. “We have tripled what we did in 2019, it concerns between 250,000 and 300,000 students. We have also increased the financial endowment by 30%, from 1 euro for support to 1.30 euro. What is interesting is the flexibility of this device, on a voluntary basis, which can be a weekly breakfast or every day of the week, ”explains the government representative.

In Haute-Garonne, other municipalities have thus decided to get started, such as Cadours or Muret. “We are targeting schools with priority education or in rural areas, where children need it most. This remains on a voluntary basis and we are able to support all the mayors, ”assures Mostafa Fourar, the rector of the Toulouse academy, which currently funds 70 schools that have decided to get started.