Chapter 1404: 1310: Math Competition and Public Childcare

Capítulo 1404: Chapter 1310: Math Competition and Public Childcare

Joseph returned to the Palace of Versailles and saw Alexandra waiting for him in the reception room.

The Crown Princess, in a fashionable light purple flowing gown, smiled and curtsied to him: “Dear, you have finally returned.”

Joseph stepped forward and gave her a peck on the cheek: “Is there anything important? Oh, your dress makes you look exceptionally beautiful today.”

“Thank you. I like it as well.” Alexandra happily kissed him on the cheek, then took out a few pages of manuscript, “Here’s the speech for next week’s ‘Paris Young Mathematical Contest’ opening ceremony. Can you help me review it?”

“Mr. Geno recently went through a breakup. He mopes around like a drowned cat every day, and I’m worried his state might cause some mistakes.”

Geno is her clerk.

“Of course.” Joseph smiled as he flipped through the speech.

This contest was personally organized by Alexandra at his suggestion two years ago. Though called the ‘Paris Young Mathematical Contest,’ kids under 13 from all over France can participate. It has a significant scale and influence, making it one of the things she values most.

“Hmm, the opening is very impressive, reflecting France’s traditional emphasis on mathematics,” Joseph praised. “This part here about last year’s champion Morsent and his educational journey is very moving.”

Alexandra nodded, “He had only learned basic addition and subtraction until he was nine. Fortunately, he later went to Viscount Dibison’s school, where the teachers discovered his mathematical talent.”

Joseph’s heart stirred when he heard this and asked, “Do you remember the highest ranking from the church school kids in last year’s competition?”

The Crown Princess shook her head: “I can only confirm that there were no church school kids among the top ten.”

“The year before?”

“Definitely not in the top ten,” Alexandra said, signaling the maid to fetch competition records from the past two years.

More than ten minutes later, she took the documents from the maid and found the data Joseph wanted: “The highest ranking the year before was 29th, and last year, 37th, Your Highness.”

Joseph, however, smiled.

Initially, the Paris Young Mathematical Contest was organized using schools as registration units, so it has become an important measure for French people to evaluate schools’ level.

The champions and runners-up of the past two competitions were all students from New Primary Schools—Paris has already built 12 New Primary Schools, and nearly 30 more have been established in other provinces.

The cutting-edge teaching concepts of later times are far superior to the church schools’ methods, enhancing learning efficiency by tenfold, and the content learned is more up-to-date and enlightening.

Students trained in such environments are a dimensional reduction attack to church schools.

Although a student from a private noble school did achieve third place, the child came from a family skilled in mathematics with rigorous foundational training from a young age.

Still, they’re no match for those gifted children from New Primary Schools.

When New Primary Schools first started, Joseph worried about repression from the church. Now, the French have recognized the value of these schools so much, that they receive nearly a million francs in donations annually.

Now would be the perfect opportunity to use the math competition to further suppress church schools.

But that’s not enough. Joseph furrowed his brow in thought, if the church brazenly pretends nothing is wrong, it will only further increase the number of New Primary Schools.

There must be financial losses for the church to retreat.

Mandating that church schools improve teaching quality?

That would take too long to effect. They could reasonably claim three to five years are needed for reform.

Include secondary schools and universities?

That’d require some similar competitions to garner momentum first.

These are all matters in the educational field…wait, there’s one more. Joseph’s forehead smoothed out; preschool education is also education.

Now that France is vigorously developing industry, more women are working different jobs. Childcare must be implemented promptly.

And the task of establishing kindergartens nationwide naturally falls to the church.

It’s not something that can be solved with just a little money and effort!

He kissed Alexandra on the forehead: “You’ve really been a great help today.”

She blinked her big eyes in surprise: “Huh? Aren’t you the one helping me revise the speech…”

Soon, Joseph finished revising the manuscript, handed it to Alexandra to study, and instructed Eman: “Please have Viscount Dibison and Baron Denico come to see me.”

Yes, the editor-in-chief of the Paris Commercial News also received a title of nobility earlier this year.

One hour later, Joseph briefly explained the plan to establish a national childcare system to the two, then turned to Denico:

“You should start promoting this immediately and make it as influential as possible.”

The editor-in-chief contemplated: “Are you suggesting finding a few women who struggle to care for their children because of work, crying in front of the City Hall about their children crying from hunger every day or nearly falling into the Seine River due to lack of care?

“Then have some people jump in to say ‘women shouldn’t work; their duty is to stay home and look after the kids.’

“Finally, a renowned lady ‘discovers the truth’ that the women have severely ill family members or debts, forcing them to work to sustain their families.

“She then proposes that if the government established institutions to look after children’s needs while parents worked, it would be the ideal solution.

“I’ll have the best reporters provide continuous coverage…”

Joseph widened his eyes at him.

This approach is even better than his initial concept; the chief editor has truly grasped the essence of manipulating public opinion.

“Your plan is excellent; proceed with it.”

Joseph then addressed Baron Denico: “You begin by compiling a ‘Childcare Guidance Manual,’ primarily focusing on the unified care of children aged 3 to 5. It doesn’t need to be too detailed, just addressing food, rest, and transportation.

“Then recruit some experienced women from various districts in Paris to undergo basic training according to the ‘Manual.’ Oh, the required personnel and funding will be allocated by the registry department.”

Denico carefully noted down, bowed slightly, and said: “Following your instructions, Your Highness.”

…

In a hall on the second floor of the Palace of Versailles, the Crown Princess was gracefully instructing the servants to distribute drinks and desserts to the guests.

This was the ‘Education and Industry of France’ themed salon she hosted.

A highly respected scholar from the University of Paris was delivering a speech, and people around nodded approvingly from time to time.

Meanwhile, Oratory’s president, Archbishop Bovais, wore a troubled expression as he spoke to the Crown Prince seated next to him: “Your Highness, there’s less than a month until the math competition, and that’s far too short…”

Joseph interrupted him with a smile: “You’re too modest. With Oratory having hundreds of thousands of students across the country, picking a few talented ones for intensive training to win one of the top three prizes is like shooting fish in a barrel.”

The Oratory is a monastic order in France very enthusiastic about primary and secondary education.