Flagpoles in Nice schools: parents reacted with restraint

1 September 2026, on the first day of the school year, flagpoles bearing the French flag appeared in Nice schools. The initiative of mayor Éric Ciotti, who proposed performing La Marseillaise weekly, drew a restrained reaction from parents.

Flagpoles in schoolyards

In Nice, by the start of the 2026 school year flagpoles with the French flag were installed in the courtyards of 89 primary schools. The city’s mayor, Éric Ciotti, proposed holding a weekly flag-raising ceremony with the performance of La Marseillaise, in order, he said, to “instil in children a love of France, its history and its symbols”. For now the initiative is limited to the installation of flagpoles, but the mayor’s office says it intends to sign an agreement with the Ministry of Education to implement the ceremonies.

Parents’ reaction: from indifference to criticism

Most parents surveyed on the day schools opened responded to the initiative without much enthusiasm, but also without outright rejection. Tristan, the father of a seven-year-old boy, sees no problem: “My son already sings La Marseillaise at football matches; now he’ll sing it at school. I don’t understand why that would bother anyone.” Another mother thinks that “it would be wiser to publish a book about the meaning of the flag and the history of the anthem than to erect flagpoles.”

More critical remarks have also been heard. Samia, the mother of a girl in CM1, says: “I’m not against it, but it wasn’t a priority. The priority is for children not to be cold in winter or too hot in summer.” Tariq, father of three children, emphasises: “My children know what it means to love France; they don’t need a flag. They need security and the ability to go to school without fear.”

Teachers and elderly Nice residents: differing views

Teacher Liz (name changed) is sceptical: “They were talking about nothing else all weekend in the school chats, as if there aren’t more important things to do before the start of the year.” She points out that the study of the Republic’s symbols is already part of the primary school curriculum: in CP children are introduced to the flag and La Marseillaise, in CE2 they listen to the anthem and learn the words. “Other countries raise the flag too, and it doesn’t surprise anyone,” she adds.

The view of 93-year-old Marie-Louise is sharply opposed: she recalls how during the occupation and the Vichy regime La Marseillaise was performed every morning at school, and she does not want her great-grandchildren to go through the same. “I never thought that in 2026 they would be forced to relive that unpleasant memory,” she says.

Political context and the mayor’s position

The Minister of Education Édouard Zheffre has already rejected the mayor’s proposal, calling it inadvisable. In response Ciotti accused the government of “a further leftward shift”. In Nice, where the question of national identity traditionally provokes debate, the mayor’s initiative, judging by parents’ reactions, has so far not found broad support.

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Photo: AXP Photography / Pexels