The news fell at the end of January: the town is concerned by a class closure at the start of the next school year. The reaction of parents of students was not long in coming, especially since the letter sent to the direction of the departmental services of national education (DSDEN) in February did not receive a response.
Friday night after class, an appointment was given in front of the establishment, under a large explicit sign hung on the school gate where it was written “No to closing class”. A good hundred people: parents, children with banners, elected officials, friends of the public school were present as well as Sylvie Bonnet, the deputy of Dino Cinieri, the deputy.
A workforce close to the closing threshold
In current forecasts, the school’s enrollment would reach 146 students, a figure very close to the closing threshold, within one or two. However, the municipality’s observation suggests population changes. Elected officials want to create housing, some of which will soon be ready for rental, while others are in the pipeline. The renovation of the village will allow the creation of three additional housing units.
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485 signatures on the petition
At the same time, the town has made major investments in the primary school (120,000 euros) for the installation of the double ventilation flow which renews the air. In 2022, the same work is planned for kindergarten.
“We are against the accounting arguments of National Education, said Frédéric Millet, the mayor. And we ask for the maintenance of the 7e class for better learning. “With an additional argument: the absence of movement of teaching staff which shows, according to him, that it is good to teach in Saint-Georges-Haute-Ville
The same goes for parents who wish to maintain a quality of supervision and educational services in their school. Especially since, period requires, the sanitary conditions would be impossible to apply in all classes with larger numbers.
A petition started has already collected 485 signatures.
Appointments are also made with the academic services at the beginning of March. And the deputy made the promise to send a letter to Jean-Michel Blanquer, Minister of National Education.
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“This closure should have been carried out last year”
As for the academic inspection of the Loire, we are very attentive to the situation of the school of Saint-Georges-Haute-Ville. Contacted by us, Sylvie Meisse, assistant to the academy inspector took the file in hand and explains: “in 2017, the establishment had 159 students in 2017. The projections for the next school year allow us to establish that 141 pupils will be educated in this school ”. And to add: “the supervision rate will be 23.5 students per class. We will therefore respect the measures of the Ministry of National Education which recommends 24 students per class ”.
The latter recalls that “this closure should have been carried out last year but due to the health situation, it was postponed. The parents of the pupils had therefore been aware of this measure for a long time ”. Sylvie Meisse, however, hopes that a dialogue can be established. “I met the mayor of the town in January and I will suggest that the parents of the students meet them in a few days”. For her, “it is important to go to them to explain our choices to them. They should not remain in the misunderstanding ”.
N. D.
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