French press review 30 December 2014

Injustices in French education, French cuisine influenced by EU regulations and the problem of homeless people in this cold weather... Here's an overview of the French newspapers during this holiday season.

Libération is talking about school today.

The left-leaning newspaper is headlining on how children coming from poor families are more likely to fail at school and gives some interesting statistics.

For example, only 75.3 percent of students having been raised by poor families obtain the Brevet, the French equivalent of the GCSEs in the UK, while children of immigrants are twice more likely to drop out of school.

Finally and this number sums up the French system pretty well, 40 percent of children from rich families get a master's degree. For children of working class families that number is only of four percent.

That's why Libé is calling for François Hollande to take care of the youth.

Did you know that when you're buying a rooster it might actually be a normal hen?

Today's Le Figaro is taking a look at how the law is influencing French cuisine.The article is very interesting. For example, did you know that an omelette can legally be made with or without milk?

The right-leaning newspaper explains that a case was brought in front of a judge who had to taste several kinds omelette in order to make a decision.

More seriously and according to Jean-Paul Branlard the author of a book on law and food, 80 percent of the laws regulating French food come from the European Union.

From wine to the world famous foie gras, the EU has implemented rules on almost every French specialty explains Le Figaro.

It is cold outside here in France and that has consequences on homeless people. Last weekend, France activated its cold weather emergency plan for homeless people.

But that's not enough explains today's La Croix.

Local authorities have since last weekend been opening shelters for people who don't have a home. But there are two problems says the Catholic daily.

Firstly most of these places are industrial buildings which are not made to host people. And secondly, these only open at night so even if it's still cold during the day the homeless have to find another shelter.

That's why, says the newspaper, some people find other solutions. In Dijon, a man had to find an empty building, not heated of course, because everywhere else was full. Others have to rely on the generosity of strangers who allow them to sleep at their homes for a night.

Do you remember how you managed without internet when you had random questions?

Well website Rue 89 is trying to. You'll find on their homepage an interesting article about queries that the public used to send to the New York Public Library.

Nowadays, if you want to know how many rugby players you can fit in a car you can just search it online. But twenty years ago, you either had to go to a library or call one.

The French website compiled a few questions that were asked at the time:

“- Is it possible to keep an octopus in a private home?

- I just saw a mouse in the kitchen. Is DDT OK to use?

- Does NYPL have a computer for us of the public? Answer: No sir!”

Of course that's funny but the 'Reference Desk' of the NYPL still receives about 1,700 questions per year.