The establishment is fighting for the continuous replacement of its director, also a teacher, and against the closure of a class at the start of the next school year.
The school of Saint-Jean-du-Pin carried out an action, this Saturday, March 11 in the morning, in the courtyard of the establishment. The parents of pupils, supported by the mayor of the commune Julie Lopez-Dubreuil, mobilized in opposition to the closure of a class at the start of the school year next September, added to the only partial replacement of the current maternity leave (on the next seven weeks) from the headmistress of the school, also in charge of the CM1/CM2 class.
“It is a question of showing our determination to save the education of our children in rural areas”, insist the parents, who evoke a “crisis situation” and speak of “scandal”. They challenge the Dasen, Philippe Maheu, already requested by a letter from the mayor on March 9.
“It’s DIY for daycare, not for teaching”
“The director has been on maternity leave since Tuesday, and the replacement proposal was catastrophic, let this parent know. A replacement was to come on Thursday, he was not present. It is an urgent problem. We are offered five different replacements over the next few weeks, and only partially, with eleven days without a replacement until April vacation. There will be no serious follow-up on the class. It’s DIY for daycare, not to teach.” A “disastrous and revolting provocation”, completes Julie Lopez-Dubreuil.
23 children per class on average at the start of the school year
The school, which has 127 children, currently has two kindergarten and four primary classes. “The projection for the start of the 2023 school year is between 115 and 120 children, indicates the mayor of the town. After closing, on paper, the children would be 23 per class. This induces double levels of office, in particular in CP and in reality for certain larger age groups, the distribution will not be equal between the classes and certain classes will be at 26 children. When the European average, she recalls, is 19 schoolchildren.
“A lot of children in difficulty”
“We have many children in difficulty who need more attention, continues the elected official. The Rased (bringing together psychologists and specialized school teachers) have already disappeared, forcing the municipality to set up a school support system by volunteers. We want to defend a quality rural school, not in competition with urban areas, but in the name of equal opportunities on French territory.”
The mayor who also makes it known that the municipality has signed “many building permits in 2021 and 2022 (20 per year), which will induce new arrivals, all the constructions not yet being completed”.
Continuity of public service highlighted
Parents and elected officials insist on the necessary “continuity of public service”. “Rural areas must not suffer a break in territorial continuity. We sincerely hope that the case of Saint-Jean-du-Pin will be reviewed quickly, both in terms of replacement and class closure.”
