French art schools in danger. Tuesday, in an introduction to a hearing at the National Assembly, the Minister of Culture mentioned the 99 public cultural higher education schools. She claims to want to “close certain schools […] which are in a crisis situation, despite the confirmed commitment of the State”. Among the 43 higher plastic arts schools in France, 10 are national schools under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, and 33 are territorial schools.
“We must stop with the policy of pieces of string, because ultimately it does not resolve any fundamental problem, and it is public money very poorly spent. I would like high-performance schools, with the same chances of success, and the same openness to all, said Rachida Dati. If it is necessary to close certain schools, because today they no longer have the same means, the means to offer a quality environment, perhaps that can be the case.
“There are evaluation bodies for this. It is not the minister who decides on this aspect, clarified the Minister of Culture. To date, the cabinet has received the association representatives, it is receiving the unions, and we will obviously present a global plan.
No example of an establishment potentially threatened was given. “It’s a complex subject because each school ultimately has specific problems,” continues Rachida Dati. We are in the process of carrying out precise mapping to propose a higher education strategy, which is not only coherent, but which is ambitious.”
The previous minister, Rima Abdul Malak, granted emergency aid in March 2023 to the 33 territorial higher art schools, which welcome some 8,400 students. She had entrusted a mission to the director of the National Higher Institute of Artistic Education of Marseille Méditerranée, Pierre Oudart, on “the structural challenges of these schools”.
