High school pupils are calling for better learning conditions

In Guadeloupe, on 6 October, 21 sixth-form colleges, 5 lower secondary schools and 9 primary schools were affected by the protests, leading to school closures or the suspension of lessons. Violence was reported in five towns. A National Education Department official and a security guard sustained minor injuries. On Thursday, the regional education authority decided to close three sixth-form colleges. Elsewhere in the territory, there have been no closures and lessons are taking place as normal, but protests are being organised.

The gap between official statements and the reality on the ground

There has been no communication from the local education authority regarding the situation in Saint Martin, other than to state on Tuesday that the situation was normal at the Robert Weinum General Secondary School and that dialogue was underway, without any disturbances, at the Daniella Jeffry Vocational Secondary School… On Thursday, the same education authority stated that there was nothing in particular to report and that lessons were taking place as normal.
In reality, the start of the week was rather chaotic, with the entrance to the vocational school blocked as early as Monday morning. On Tuesday morning, the boys’ toilets, located on the ground floor, were set alight. Pupils and teachers walked out from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm, and the situation became even more tense when eggs were thrown at the headteacher and a teacher at the school.
On Thursday morning, Robert Weinum High School followed suit with a student protest outside the entrance. The teachers, however, decided to continue with lessons.

Common demands

Pupils at secondary schools in Saint Martin face the same issues as their counterparts in mainland France, with shared demands.
At the vocational school, pupils interviewed on Tuesday morning criticised the dilapidated state of the buildings and the lack of maintenance. They are calling for air-conditioning in the classrooms or, failing that, fans, as the windows no longer open. Taking a pragmatic approach, they want at least some curtains in the meantime to protect them from the sun. On the first floor, the girls’ toilets no longer lock. The girls are simply asking for latches and regular cleaning of the toilets… as well as the classrooms. The pupils are indeed complaining about the dirt. Other demands include computers that work, suitable equipment and sufficient furniture. In some classes of 33 pupils, there is a shortage of desks and chairs. The mechanics and boating workshop is also in poor condition. The pupils would like it to be, at the very least, repainted.
In the general secondary school, these same demands are compounded by – dirty toilets, a lack of furniture forcing pupils to sit three to a table in life and earth sciences, fans that make more noise than they produce air in the classrooms of the former lower school section, video projectors that do not work, and one microscope for every 4 to 5 pupils – a shortage of teachers. This is a recurring problem, according to the pupils: last year there was no physics and chemistry teacher for two and a half months, and this year three or four teachers are regularly absent in the second year of the general stream. Furthermore, due to a lack of funding, planned school trips – particularly those for the eco-volunteers – cannot take place. Finally, many pupils are on a waiting list for school transport due to a lack of places, particularly on the routes serving Concordia and Quartier d’Orléans. They manage to get to lessons by their own means.
At both secondary schools, pupils are also calling for the reinstatement of the 11.00 am break, which has been scrapped, as they regret now having only one break in the morning. At Robert Weinum, there is just one 10-minute break at 10 am during a six-hour morning session. Put simply, like secondary school pupils across France, they are calling for sufficient staff and resources to enable them to study in suitable conditions.

A lack of resources

For its part, the regional education authority has invited headteachers to organise a half-day of discussions with pupils to allow them to express their concerns and expectations. A national platform, Agora.gouv.fr, launched on 5 October, will remain open until 23 October to gather not only the pupils’ grievances but also their proposals. 
Responsibility for the upkeep of schools lies with the regions in mainland France and with the local authority in Saint-Martin. Resources are lacking everywhere. In the absence of funding, what solutions will the government put forward to address the pupils’ demands?