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Month: September 2022

Government lays out strategy for coming school year

by: Stephanie Horsman
05/09/2022

It’s back to school for all students in the Principality of Monaco and, according to the education department, it’s under “much calmer” and more innovative conditions this year.

Monday 5th September marked the official return to school for the 5,696 students and the 872 staff members of the Principality.

To ease re-entry, Isabelle Bonnal, Commissioner General in charge of the Department of National Education, Youth and Sports, spoke to the press about the new year and what changes and objectives kids and parents can expect.

One of the most welcome changes will be that children are no longer obliged to wear masks at school, though barrier gestures will still be maintained. Said Ms Bonnal of this development, “It is in much calmer conditions that the start of the 2022 school year will take place.”

Additionally, there will be a return to face-to-face classes, parent-teacher meetings and gym classes, both indoor and outdoor.

On the learning front, students in first class will have a voluntary option of taking an additional one and a half hours of maths to their general schedules, under the heading of scientific mathematics education. For younger children, at the primary level, all CE2, CM1 and CM2 classes in the Principality will take part in the Kangourou des maths competition which will take place during Mathematics Week, from 6th to 15th March 2023.

Middle school pupils will be offered three new competitions, starting with CGénial, which gives them a chance to design a scientific project, Océano for All, an avenue for proposing objectives on sustainable development, and an inter-establishment competition putting students to the test on cross-learning bridge and mathematics.

Languages are being highlighted this year as well. “The Monegasque language becomes compulsory in 3rd grade, in the continuity of what was put in place for 4th graders last year,” announced Ms Bonnal at the press conference.

Access to the English language will also be facilitated and “made fairer”.

Two pilot programmes at La Condamine school and FANB Institution school will try out a system of assessments without grades for CE1 and CE2 classes. This is part of the well-being plans for this school year, noting that “grades can be a stress factor in the life of the student”. If successful, this could expand to secondary education.

For those whose schedules are heavy on sport, “a new system for evaluating sports skills, tested this year with 3rd grade classes, will be implemented each quarter and directly within the sports club concerned by a referent PE teacher in compliance with the standards and criteria defined in the official programme,” said the general commissioner. Furthermore, the Grande Section Maternelle kids will be able to try out a new sport this year: judo and laser run, combining running and laser shooting.

The current international option for Bac students has been replaced with the international French baccalaureate, offering subjects taught and tested in another language, giving students a bilingual, bicultural diploma, something that makes sense in multicultural Monaco.

In the digital domain, primary school pupils will discover ‘Minecraft, Adventures of Monaco’, a playful and dynamic way of immersing children in the history of Monaco.

This year, pupils from Lycée Technique et Hôtelier will be equipped with a touch screen laptop, provided by All Saints, giving them access to digital textbooks. BTS and BCG students will receive the same laptops in January. This programme was able to offer last year’s students at the Lycée Albert 1er the same deal.

For the instructors, a new platform of educational resources, Tactileo, will be made available to secondary school teachers from Monday.

On a social note, staff training in the prevention of violence and harassment continues, and cases will be seriously looked at and considered to ensure no child suffers from bullying.

 

 

 

Photo credit: Michael Alesi, Government Communications Department 

 

 

 

 

 

Come one and all to the Market Ball

by: Stephanie Horsman
05/09/2022

The Monaco Mairie has organised an end of summer event the Place des Armes, filled with music, dance and of course, culinary delights from the Condamine Market.

The Principality is putting on a bash to end the season in style. Called The Market Ball (Le Bal du Marché), the organisers are touting it as an event “In the rural style with a guinguette atmosphere”, welcoming the public to come and join in the festivities.

A guinguette was a popular 18th century term for drinking establishments in the suburbs of Paris and of other cities in France. Guinguettes would also serve as restaurants and often as dance venues. The origin of the term comes from guinguet, indicating a local sour, light white wine.

In Monaco, it will be more like a celebration, with large open seating tables made available to the public, giving them a chance to meet, eat, dance and have a glass or two.

The traders of the Condamine Market will be open for business serving up delicious fare, and additional stands outside will help keep lines to a minimum.

Benty Brothers Music will perform live, so dancing will also be on the menu.

The Market Ball takes place on Friday 9th September. Food and drinks will be served from 7pm and the music starts at 7:30pm. Entry is free of charge but guests are encouraged to come early as there are no reservations and seating will fill up fast. 

 

 

 

Photo source: Mairie de Monaco

 

 

 

 

 

Monaco claim bragging rights over local rivals

by: Luke Entwistle
05/09/2022

AS Monaco edged a tight, tactical battle at the Allianz Riviera on Sunday thanks to a Breel Embolo header, which was enough to beat fierce local rivals OGC Nice.

Only goal difference separated the two sides going into the local derby. Although both sides have struggled for form at the beginning of the season, Nice came into the match off the back of an impressive win away at Lille, whilst Monaco arrived having lost at home to ESTAC Troyes in their previous match.

The first-half evidenced a lack of confidence in both sides. The battle was tactically intriguing, although sorely lacking in exciting goalmouth action. Youcef Atal had Nice’s best chance, but he could only shoot straight at Alexander Nübel from around 18 yards out.

Monaco had their half-chances too. The strength of the Monégasuqes game, in the first-half at least, was based on a solid, well-organised defence, but in attack, Aleksandr Golovin was Philippe Clement’s side’s most creative outlet.

After a neat one-two with Embolo, Golovin found himself in on goal, albeit at a tight angle, and he couldn’t force Kasper Schmeichel into a save, with his shot whistling just wide.

Photo by Monaco Life

The second-half, although more exciting than the first, still offered little entertainment for the neutral. In a game of few chances, it is the most clinical side that wins, and on this occasion, it was Monaco.

Caio Henrique, with the game’s standout moment of quality delivered a sumptuous ball right onto the head of Embolo, who made no mistake from close range. Thereafter, Monaco were untroubled, as Nice offered little in the offensive phases. As manager Lucien Favre damningly assessed post-match: “We were bad with the ball and we were bad without it.”

Monaco therefore took the narrow but deserved victory and celebrated with the 400+ Monaco fans that made the short journey down the coast. The three points sends Monaco 10th in the table, whilst Nice languish down in 16th.

Clement told Monaco Life post-match that the win will give his side a boost. “Winning here gives us a lot of confidence, especially since we know the importance for the players, the club, the management and the fans, of winning this derby. It’s good and we need to back it up now on Thursday.”

Clement’s side face another tough challenge midweek as they make the trip to Belgrade to face Red Star in their Europa League opener. A hostile atmosphere awaits them, but their latest victory will fill them with confidence.

 

 

Photo source: AS Monaco

 

 

 

 

Princely family join Monegasques for annual picnic

by: Cassandra Tanti
04/09/2022

Prince Albert, Princess Charlene and their children celebrated the much-loved U Cavagnëtu annual picnic on Saturday, the first time the event has been held in two years.

The annual open-air “picnic” U Cavagnëtu draws in around 1,000 Monegasque citizens each year at the Princess Antoinette Park to celebrate the last big event of the summer.

It has not been held the previous two years due to Covid, so there was an extra air of excitement at this, the 2022 edition, not least because the Princely family were present.

Prince Albert, Princess Charlene, Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella all joined in the celebration. The couple delighted crowds by mingling among the guests, Prince Albert learning more about his people’s summer vacations, Princess Charlene taking pictures with young Monegasques alongside her own seven-year-old children.

Princess Charlene poses for a photo with guests at the annual Monaco Picnic alongside her daughter Gabriella. Photo credit: Eric Mathon, Prince’s Palace

The Mairie started U Cavagnëtu, or Monaco Picnic, in 1931 and it was embraced by Prince Rainier III, who at one point held it at the local football stadium. It has since become a popular and well-loved family event held in the Princess Antoinette Park.

The event is opened with a mass before Monegasque tradition is celebrated with folk dancing, traditional dress, music and local food.

 

See more photos of the annual Monaco Picnic below. All photos credit: Eric Mathon, Prince’s Palace…

 

 

 

Verstappen delights Orange army, Ferrari fall further back

by: Luke Entwistle
04/09/2022

Max Verstappen dominated on the banks of Zandvoort, winning consecutive Dutch Grand Prix’s and further strengthening his grip on this year’s championship as Charles Leclerc slipped further adrift.

Once again, few would have bet against Verstappen winning at his home race on Sunday, and he didn’t disappoint. In front of a record 305,000 fans, who descended on the circuit over the course of the race weekend, he dominated from start to finish.

Having qualified comfortably on pole position last weekend before penalties relegated him to the mid-field, Verstappen kept his privileged place on the grid this week, although only narrowly as he beat Leclerc by just 0.021 secs.

The victory never looked in doubt. He held his lead off the grid, despite a good launch from Leclerc. Verstappen quickly blocked off the Monégasuqe’s advances and began to grow his lead.

Behind Leclerc in third was teammate Carlos Sainz, who was successfully staving off the advances of the much-improved Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton… until the first round of pit stops. On a different strategy, Hamilton stayed out, but Sainz’s pit stop, which took over 12 seconds due to the comical absence of tyres, took him out of the running for the podium.

By the time the Mercedes’ of Hamilton and George Russell pitted off their medium tyres and onto the hards, the damage was already done for Ferrari. Their superior strategy saw both of them comfortably jump Leclerc onto the podium places, and but for a late reprieve, Leclerc looked like missing out on a podium altogether.

The race seemed to be accelerating towards a predictable denouement, but a technical problem for Valterri Bottas caused the deployment of the safety car. All pitted for a set of soft tyres, apart from Hamilton, who traded track performance for track position.

The Brit took the lead of the race, but was at the mercy of rivals on faster tyres. Upon the restart of the race on lap 61, Verstappen took only a matter of seconds before retaking the lead of his home race. Russell was next, and finally Leclerc, whose late move on the Mercedes rescued a podium. From a position of strength, Hamilton only managed fourth, whilst Sainz’s poor day at the office was compounded by a late penalty, which relegated him to eighth.

Verstappen is now looking like the runaway leader in this championship battle, his fourth consecutive victory, and 10th of the season gives him a huge lead over Leclerc, who is 109 points adrift. The Monégasque does, however, go level on points with Sergio Perez.

In his post-race interview, Leclerc didn’t sound optimistic about his chances of clawing his way back into the title race. “As I said in Spa [Francorchamps], the gap is now really big. We’ll take it race by race and try to maximise our potential.”

Verstappen is now over four race victories ahead of his nearest challenger, and no-one looks like denying him consecutive titles. To avoid an early end to the title battle, Leclerc, Perez, or both will have to make inroads at Monza next weekend.

 

 

Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre

 

 

 

 

3 September 1944: Monaco is Liberated!

by: Cassandra Tanti
03/09/2022

These are the moments that lead up to the Liberation of Monaco, 78 years ago on this day, 3rd September.  

It is 15th August 1944 and the allies have just land in Provence, southern France. The Gestapo react by carrying out executions. 25 people – 23 resistance fighters and two collaborators – are shot by the Nazis in the Ariane district of Nice, among them are René Borghini, Secretary General of the National Council of Monaco, and Esther Poggio, his liaison officer, who were arrested in Monaco in July.

In response, resistance fighters initiate the battle of Peille, which lasts five days. Battles are also taking place at Férion and Levens.

For 19 days, Allied fighter planes pound the coast; the inhabitants and buildings of Monaco are hit hard. The Gestapo are angry and food is in short supply.

The Liberation Committee launches an appeal to the people of Nice. The CGT prepares workers to strike and occupy strategic positions. On August 28th, the people of Nice rise up and liberate the city.

During the night of 22nd and 23rd August, Beausoleil is bombarded. Armoured convoys pass through Monaco, retreating. On the 24th, a bomb explodes and on the 26th, 14 German boats anchor in Monegasque territorial waters, raising fears of a bombardment which inevitably takes place during the night.

On the 27th, seven planes drop bombs on the population, killing several.

Resistance fighters and French Forces stem an enemy retreat, preventing a possible gathering in mountains surrounding Monaco.

On the 30th, the last column of German infantry retreat and, on the 31st, a violent battle among warships takes place.

The night of 2nd September is apocalyptic. A terrifying storm breaks out, and naval guns fire on Mont Agel and La Turbie. The Franc Tireurs Partisans – a French armed resistance organistion, the 509th US Infantry Regiment, and fire from the Edgard Quinet cruiser force the enemy to raise their arms in defeat.

It’s early 3rd September 1944. There are no German soldiers on the streets of Monaco or Beausoleil. Resistance fighters show themselves. The Americans arrive. At 2 pm, a large rally takes place on Place de la Crémaillère in La Turbie with ecstatic crowds.

Every year since, on 3rd September, authorities and citizens in Monaco gather together to remember the men and women who refused to suffer under oppression and fought back, at great risk to their own lives, for everyone else to live freely. Various remembrance ceremonies are held through the Principality, including at the Monaco Cemetery and the War Memorial.

 

 

Photo featured at the Exhibition of the Liberation at the CHM, Beausoleil