At Ille school in Rennes, the football pitch has been moved to make room for mixed games in the middle of the playground.

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J. Gicquel / 20 Minutes

  • In Rennes, two schools have a gender-neutral playground for the start of the school year.

  • In these courses, the design of the space has been reworked to ensure better sharing between girls and boys.

  • Mixed games were also installed in the middle of the court and the football field moved to the side.

A completely redesigned playground for the start of the school year.

Here is the surprise which awaited this Tuesday morning the pupils of the school groups Ille and Champion of Cicé in Rennes.

On discovering it, it is quite possible that some of the boys twitched when they saw that the football field had been moved to the side.

This is one of the arrangements made this summer to make these two courtyards gender-neutral spaces.

"The recreational space can no longer be reduced to a large asphalted football field with boys playing in the middle and girls playing around, those days are over," said Mayor Nathalie Appéré.

At the Ille school in #rennes, the children discovered a new yard this morning.

Completely restored, more adapted to climate change and more egalitarian.

To discover on #IciRennes


> https://t.co/hMr8C15jRP pic.twitter.com/KOeQOU1HFU

- metropolerennes (@metropolerennes) September 1, 2020

Following the example of cities such as Trappes or Grenoble, the Breton capital has thus committed itself in this return to “fighting against gender stereotypes”.

And the fight begins in the playground, a space where the girls are often pushed aside and relegated to the sides.

To remedy this, the entire design of the space has been reworked to ensure better sharing between boys and girls.

Vegetation to modify uses in the yard

In place of the football field, in the so-called active zone, mixed games chosen by the children have thus taken place in the middle of the courtyard.

Green spaces have also been planted and benches installed.

A way for the city to fight against the effects of global warming by creating islands of freshness.

But also to change the uses in the courtyard by offering students spaces more conducive to relaxation or exploration.

"We do not take away a play area by revegetating the courtyards; on the contrary, these areas are part of the course offered to the pupils", indicates Bruno Laperche of the direction of gardens and biodiversity at the city of Rennes.

The soccer field has not disappeared from the courtyard either.

But it now takes up less space and adapts to other collective games thanks to a net that has been installed.

"The courtyard must be a meeting place"

Rennes is not the only community to address these issues of diversity and equality at recess.

In Ille-et-Vilaine, three new colleges (Bréal-sous-Montfort, Laillé and Guipry-Messac) have just opened their doors this fall.

And all three have from their conception adopt the principle of a non-gendered playground.

"The courtyard should no longer be seen as a space where boys let off steam and girls discuss among themselves on a bench", underlines Armelle Billard, departmental councilor in charge of equality.

"On the contrary, it should be a meeting place where they learn to live together," said the elected official.

This is all the more important as relations are often strained during adolescence between girls and boys ”.

Ultimately, all of Rennes' schools and all of the new colleges in the department will adopt this new concept of playgrounds.

“This will not solve everything, warns Armelle Billard.

But it still helps to strengthen equality between women and men ”.

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