French Education Minister Édouard Geffray has rejected a proposal by Mayor of Nice Éric Ciotti to introduce mandatory flag-raising ceremonies in primary school playgrounds.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, August 31, following a cabinet meeting at the Council of Ministers, Geffray stated that local elected officials do not have the authority to decide on educational practices inside state schools. He emphasized that the national government sets the administrative and pedagogical framework for public education across France.
Geffray dismissed the initiative proposed by the mayor, stating that the project could not even begin to be implemented. He pointed out that the official title National Education explicitly includes the word national, meaning local mayors lack the power to mandate flag ceremonies for pupils whether held daily, weekly, or monthly.
The minister added that such a measure could not move forward without a formal directive from his office, noting that he has no intention of issuing any such instruction. Geffray also warned that if Ciotti contacts him officially regarding the proposal, he will send a formal reply reiterating the government's stance.
Mayoral proposal in Nice
The controversy began on Friday when Ciotti, a politician representing the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR), announced plans to erect tricolour flagpoles in every school courtyard across Nice. Nice is a major city located on the Mediterranean coast in south-eastern France.
Under Ciotti's plan, municipal workers would install flagpoles between the start of the academic year and the All Saints' Day holidays, a standard two-week French school break in late autumn. Ciotti said he had formally contacted the regional education rector to coordinate with school principals, municipal employees, and parents.
The mayor stated that his goal was to organize at least one weekly ceremony in every school where students would gather to watch the French flag raised while singing La Marseillaise, the national anthem of France. In the French school system, a rector serves as the chief government official overseeing regional education policy on behalf of the central ministry.
Writing on the social media platform X on Sunday, Ciotti defended the measure, declaring that the French flag would fly in every school in Nice. He expressed pride in the initiative, describing the blue, white, and red tricolour flag as a symbol of national history, struggles, and freedoms that adults have a duty to pass on to children.
National rules on school commemorations
While rejecting the mayor's local initiative, Geffray recalled an existing national mandate that will require pupils across France to participate in an annual commemorative event starting this academic year. The rule applies to students from fourth grade, known in France as CM1, through terminale, the final year of high school.
Under the ministry's directive, schools must hold a ceremony within their premises around November 11 to honor those who died for France. November 11 marks Armistice Day, commemorating the end of the First World War in 1918, a date traditionally dedicated to remembering French military casualties.
Geffray stressed the importance of the national tribute, explaining that beyond individual personal stories, students need to understand their shared history so they know where they come from and where they are going.
