“Students are hungry, you only give crumbs”: Boyard accuses the Government of “lies”

Meals with insufficient rations in the Crous, queues that lengthen in front of food aid in universities… Faced with the resurgence of student precariousness, Louis Boyard intervened this Tuesday afternoon in current questions to the Government to the Minister of Education Higher.

“The students are hungry, but you only give them crumbs. While one out of every two students says that he doesn’t have enough to eat, you dare to brag about having increased scholarships. But what world is it in- why are you going through?” , scolded the deputy for Val-de-Marne.

“300 million euros of urgency for this return to school”

Without denying the difficulties, the patron saint of French universities highlighted the actions of the government. The cost of living for students has increased considerably at the beginning of the 2022 academic year with an increase of 6.47% compared to the beginning of the 2021 academic year according to the National Union of Students of France, largely due to inflation.

“I cannot let people believe that the government waited for you to act (…). Since July, we have put 300 million euros in emergency measures for this start of the school year,” replied Sylvie Retailleau. .

The minister also announced in recent days “a national and territorial consultation on student life to see which is the best model to respond to student precariousness.” Students in a precarious situation will also be able to claim a one-euro meal until Christmas even if they are not scholarship holders, she recalled.

“To be a student is to be poor”

Not enough to convince Louis Boyard who made his political debut in student activism and who made his fight out of student precariousness.

“His lies are contradicted by the queues that get longer during food distribution because today, being a student is being poor,” said the rebel parliamentarian, referring to the presence in the chamber of Maëlle, this student who had posted a video of her in tears, saying she was living on a “100 euro scholarship a month” in early November.

Minister Sylvie Retailleau had responded by encouraging him in particular to “approach the Crous to request emergency aid”. La France Insoumise will present a bill on November 24 to defend a subsidy for student autonomy.