Louis Mussington: “The children of Saint-Martin deserve a modern secondary school”
On Saturday 4 July, from 9 am to 12 noon, an open day was held at Soualiga Secondary School in La Savane. The event was organised by the Territorial Collectivity of Saint Martin and initiated by President Louis Mussington. We went to meet him.
Why did you organise a tour of Collège 900?
I came up with the idea, together with the Collectivité’s office, to organise this open day so that parents could understand the resources we have mobilised and see for themselves what has been achieved between 2023 and the present day. We believe that the children of Saint-Martin deserve a school worthy of the name. They deserve a modern, digital secondary school that is adapted to current technological developments.
What innovations have been introduced at this secondary school?
Among the innovations are interactive whiteboards, technology classrooms and the music room. We have equipped this school with modern, high-tech facilities. I am proud of the resources we have invested to achieve the results we see today. I hope that, thanks to this, there will be good results at the end of the school year and that this momentum will continue in the long term. Pupils now have the resources they need to feel at ease with their research and studies.
We were also keen to maintain a strong connection with the natural environment; it was essential to include an ecological dimension in this project. A programme of landscaping has been carried out both inside and around the school, so that pupils can learn in a pleasant environment that contributes to their personal development. We did not want a school that was too urbanised or dominated by concrete. The environmental aspect has therefore been fully integrated into the architectural design.
What are your expectations for this new educational facility?
We want all the children who attend, or will attend, this secondary school over the next fifteen or twenty years to flourish. I hope that one day we will be able to say that this project has been a great success, particularly through the results achieved by our pupils. We want our children to be able to obtain the qualifications that are necessary and important for Saint-Martin society as a whole. This has been a well-thought-out and structured investment. I now expect the teaching and support staff to join forces to look after this school. I hope it can remain in this condition for the next ten or twenty years. I would also like to acknowledge the support provided by the state and the European Union for this project. I hope that all the secondary school pupils will fully appreciate the value of this fine achievement.
Interview by Lise Gaeta
