"France's national rail operator, it seems, puts the age at which a child can be trusted to behave in a non-annoying way onboard a train a bit higher. In launching its new Optimum plus tariff earlier this month, offering spaces onboard its weekday TGV trains between Paris and Lyon with bigger, more comfortable seats, fancy food and no under-12s, SNCF was trying to appeal to the many business travellers who make that journey."
"But the move has sparked a backlash and a philosophical debate about the place of children in society, against the backdrop of a worrying decline in French birthrates. We can't on one hand say that we are not having enough children and on the other hand try to exclude them from everywhere, argues Sarah El Hairy, France's high commissioner for childhood."
"Anyone who has spent a long train ride playing 4,000 rounds of I-spy with their own child, let alone sat close to anyone else's, may understand the logic of offering child-free spaces. But the reaction highlights a strong philosophical objection in a country that traditionally gives children plenty of autonomy and responsibility, as part of a mindset that sees helping them fit in with wider society as a priority."
SNCF launched an Optimum plus tariff on weekday TGV services between Paris and Lyon featuring larger seats, upgraded food and a prohibition on children under 12 to attract business travellers. The policy provoked a public backlash and a philosophical debate about children’s place in society amid falling French birthrates. Critics, including France's high commissioner for childhood Sarah El Hairy, argue that excluding children contradicts concerns about low fertility. Supporters note the practical appeal of child-free spaces for passengers seeking quiet. The controversy contrasts with France's traditionally family-friendly practices that emphasize children's autonomy and integration into public life.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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