Soualiga Secondary School: the most beautiful secondary school in France?
On Wednesday 22 April, the Collectivité of Saint-Martin organised an official visit to Collège 900 in La Savane. The school has been eagerly awaited following three years of construction work.
“An exemplary school” – that is how Gabriele Fioni, the regional director of education for Guadeloupe, describes Soualiga College. With a capacity of 900 pupils, the building covers an area of 5,400 m². Thirty-one classrooms, a 150 m² library and information centre (CDI), a canteen and multimedia rooms – every effort has been made to ensure the best possible learning conditions for pupils. In total, the site comprises four buildings, including teaching blocks, an indoor sports hall and staff accommodation.
In line with current environmental and educational standards, the project is part of a sustainable and innovative approach. The building features cross-ventilation, energy-efficient equipment and specific materials such as natural plastic cladding and façade panels designed to improve acoustics. Nearly 70% of the school’s energy needs are met by photovoltaic installations. Furthermore, a storm shelter capable of accommodating up to 600 people completes this complex, designed to serve the Saint-Martin community.
A landmark project for the region and its development
Completed over three years, this project involved numerous local and national stakeholders, including the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, the French government and the Banque des Territoires. “We are very pleased to see that the children are happy,” said Territorial Council President Louis Mussington, before adding, “We were able to contribute €17 million towards the financing of this project from our own funds.” In total, the budget for the works amounts to €41.7 million, of which €15 million was funded by the Ministry of National Education and €10 million by the Ministries for Overseas Territories and Ecological Transition. Having travelled to the event for the occasion, the Rector of the Guadeloupe academic region, Gabriele Fioni, did not hide his enthusiasm: “We are proud to have the finest secondary school in the entire academic region and perhaps in the whole of France. We are giving our pupils and fellow citizens a real opportunity.” He also emphasised the need to utilise these buildings to their full potential. “On Monday, staff and pupils took to the school; now we must bring it to life and integrate it into the neighbourhood and the community,” he explained, noting that the sports facilities will be open to the island’s clubs and associations.
Reorganisation at Robert Weinum Sixth Form College
Vice-Rector Harry Christophe, for his part, highlighted the positive effects of this opening on the organisation of Robert Weinum Sixth Form College. The departure of the secondary school pupils will indeed free up classrooms and improve facilities for sixth form students from the start of the academic year in September 2026. “It is difficult to change timetables mid-year. For the time being, the school will retain its current structure, and a few improvements to comfort levels may be made,” explains the head of the National Education Department for Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin. A
true symbol of resilience and ambition, Soualiga Secondary School is a joint project that Rector Gabriele Fioni sums up in these words: “When everyone moves in the same direction, great things are achieved.”
