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[WiiredShawn]

It's not that she's wrong.

It's just that having to attribute political gravity to a game about fun animal enslavement is unfortunately hilarious.

It's not a job I envy.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

New Final Fantasy XV character?

 

[Piers]

Nostalgia. My old school (or maybe just my class) did a similar thing, but to a greater degree. Talk of Pokemon was strictly forbidden, so we had to refer to it as "The P Word".

Yes. "The P Word"

The more things change I guess...

I know my school eventually banned Pokemon cards. Can't recall why, actually, since they were only brought out during breaks.
Really wanted that damn Ancient Mew card.

 

[RoninChaos]

The french minister of Education, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, this monday (08/29) said that she will meet Niantic asking them to not put any rare pokemon in the public schools.

The minister evoked securities issues and possibles massives intrusions if one rare pokemon would be discovered in a school.

Source

... Why is she dressed like a Phoenix Wright character?

 

[Zomba13]

I know my school eventually banned Pokemon cards. Can't recall why, actually, since they were only brought out during breaks.
Really wanted that damn Ancient Mew card.

True Story: I bought my Ancient Mew for £2 from a boy in the toilets who had a brother that worked at the local cinema and gave him a huge stack of them to sell. We also had a Japanese kid who had packs and cards from Japan but he was nice and didn't do dirt deals in toilet stalls, just honest, straight trades.

 

[Anth0ny]

Jokes on you, by saying that you're now a Pokemon NPC

 

[Shiggy]

Just wondering, but do rare Pokemon wear burkinis?

 

[hypernima]

Sure, we should focus on Pokémon GO and forget the several problems we have to deal with.

This. Country.

She's the Minister of Education...what do you want her to do?

I agree, I mean there was good reason Pokemon was banned in schools in the late 90s.
It's all we were focused on during the period breaks. Daydreaming in class about getting the dankest of holographics.

 

[Kayhan]

I've actually learned more at the Viridian City school than my real life one. My teachers never taught me how bad getting frozen or poisoned was, Pokemon did.

Ash is a bad influence on kids.

 

[SinCityAssassin]

She already looks like a Gym Leader. X&Y were correct about the french higher ups being stylish.

 

[neoemonk]

None of the schools by my house have pokestops so I don't really go there but the churches do. First time I've been that close to a church in years.

 

[Systolique]

She actually looks very sharp and pretty !

 

[Cynn]

She looks terrifying in that pic.

Probably because she's a Team Rocket admin and just trying to trick them into spawning the rare stuff in a place where they can harvest them personally.

 

[Heshinsi]

She actually looks very sharp and pretty !

It's pretty crazy that she is the first French woman to be appointed Minister of Education. Also the first Muslim to hold the position as well. But yeah, she looks sharp.

 

[Menitta]

.

 

[ZiZ]

She actually looks very sharp and pretty !

I'd minist her education. If you know what I mean.

Spoiler

I don't know what I mean

 

[Ataxia]

Why are we talking about her appearance and not the issue again

 

[Jintor]

.

mu sides

 

[Radec]

Why are we talking about her appearance and not the issue again

Neogaf.gif

 

[The Faceless Master]

dressed like a Tekken character

 

[Speedwagon]

waiting on fanart

 

[kitschbeam]

Damn she looks like a gym leader

 

[Crayolan]

.

lol

 

[Bjoern the Smexy]

I think she has a point though.
Let's say there appears an Articuno on some school's premises during class. Not only would children flip their shit, probably skipping class to be able to catch it, it would also attract many outsiders who can cause disturbances and probably even worse problems.

No rare/legendary Pokémon at schools is actually a very good idea. This game dictates to many people's lives already.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Why are we talking about her appearance and not the issue again

 

[Prime crotch]

I'd say this measure comes a bit too late and is more of a fluff policy, doubt kids will still be into Pokémon Go. But it's not a bad idea tbh.

 

[NEO0MJ]

We should switch this to genies of healthy meta.

 

[Dee Dee]

I think she has a point though.
Let's say there appears an Articuno on some school's premises during class. Not only would children flip their shit, probably skipping class to be able to catch it, it would also attract many outsiders who can cause disturbances and probably even worse problems.

No rare/legendary Pokémon at schools is actually a very good idea. This game dictates to many people's lives already.

Now, how do you keep them from spawning at schools though?
Niantic don't have a list of all school buildings with Pokestops or Pokestops near them since the data is partly user generated from their old ARG.

They'll ask the French ministry for a list, then take 5months to remove all that, by which time no one will give a Ratata's ass about an Articuno spawning.

Politicians making a stance against short lived toy crazes serves no other purpose than getting their name in the papers. However reasonable you think this sounds, it's not, and the effect is less than zero.

 

[Jackano]

I would have thought that would be a good way to get kids back to school after the vacations
Pic is weird, she's prettier than.
No match for prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaïa, though.

 

[Darksol]

She can really rock that jacket. I wish I could pull off white like that.

 

[Big Nikus]

An old friend of mine did this :

 

[*Splinter]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only way to know of a rare Pokemon's location is to already be in range catch it, no?

As for "distracting" the kids, I'm pretty sure anyone playing this catches every Pokemon they see, doesn't matter if it's a weedle or a snorlax (not that you will see much while sitting still).

 

[haveheart]

Keep videogames off the streets!

Put videogames back in the living room!

 

[UnluckyKate]

She looks terrifying in that pic.

Yes.

And she looks lovely Irl.

But her policies...

Well nobody's perfect

 

[inherendo]

Except she's right...

Right? People are fucking idiots. Remember reading tons of articles of people trespassing on private property to get a pokemon. If France has to devote more security to schools cause random people keep trying to catch rare pokemon, it diverts resources from others. Dude you quoted, just lol.

 

[DevilDog]

Yes.

And she looks lovely Irl.

But her policies...

Well nobody's perfect

I think what she is doing is quite nice, she isn't banning videogames from schools or anything, just things that would cause this:

Pokemon Go - Vaporeon stampede Central Park, NYC

 

[Tezzeractor]

.

I was waiting for it.

 

[True Fire]

Older people are so behind the times. Pokemon Go will be dead this time next month, and even if a rare Pokemon spawns down the street you can still touch it without entering a school.

I find it so annoying when older people want to control and legislate everything. It's a huge problem in France right now.

I think she has a point though.
Let's say there appears an Articuno on some school's premises during class. Not only would children flip their shit, probably skipping class to be able to catch it, it would also attract many outsiders who can cause disturbances and probably even worse problems.

No rare/legendary Pokémon at schools is actually a very good idea. This game dictates to many people's lives already.

Articuno won't appear, and by the time the school year really gets going, children will already have almost every rare Pokemon. You only need one of each rare Pokemon; it's not like this game has unlimited opportunities. It has an expiry date.

Also, Pokemon Go is dead and children will have moved on by the time anyone plans these fences.

Also, Niantic can't even code their own game properly, how will they be able to prevent spawns in certain areas? Especially by using their shitty implementation of the Google Maps API? This isn't even feasible.

 

[True Fire]

.

 

[Joni]

It really isn't her problem if Niantic can do it or not. That is their problem.

Sure, we should focus on Pokémon GO and forget the several problems we have to deal with.

This. Country.

When you have to put police at schools, it might make sense to avoid more people showing up.

Articuno won't appear, and by the time the school year really gets going, children will already have almost every rare Pokemon. You only need one of each rare Pokemon; it's not like this game has unlimited opportunities. It has an expiry date.

It starts Thursday, with France getting the game late already.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Except she's right...

I thought she was left

 

[KratosEnergyDrink]

Another dumb politician who desperately wants a little public attention.

 

[Alx]

It makes sense if they want to avoid crowds gathering in front of schools. Which are already under strict surveillance because of the terror counter-measures (no car, police presence etc). Maybe it will be pointless in a few months, but it's worth anticipating, having a discussion with Niantic doesn't cost much.
As for kids, I do hope any usage of smartphone is forbidden at school anyway, except maybe for recess.

 

[Leks]

I agree, I mean there was good reason Pokemon was banned in schools in the late 90s.

Never heard of that. I and my friends were crazy about Pokémon after Blue/Red came out, my school didn't talk about a ban or anything else.

When you have to put police at schools, it might make sense to avoid more people showing up.

Police presence at schools isn't as common as you think.

 

[jwhit28]

She has to worry about safety in schools, so limiting a game that causes grown people stampedes is probably a good idea.

 

[King Gilga]

She's completely right.

That picture is awesome.

 

[PillarEN]

An old friend of mine did this :

My team leader. Kawaii

 

[Springy]

It's good to see that other governments than the United States use bullshit issues to take the pressure off of the real problems.

She's the education minister. What should she be focusing on, nuclear disarmament?

 

[mugwhump]

I've heard many American elementary schools are pokemon dead zones, not sure how true that is.

As for crowds gathering, that doesn't really happen as spawned pokemon only last for 15 minutes and it's hard to track them down. You only get the stampedes in areas where there were already a very large number of people playing, which would only be the case for the school if it had lots of pokestops, which they could just ask to be removed. She kinda sorta barely has a small point, but it's mostly a non-issue. I don't doubt Niantic will still comply though.

 

[oti]

My team leader. Kawaii

Please. Show some respect for the French language. It's kawâiié.