It's a strike that speaks volumes. For the second consecutive day, yesterday, Tuesday, April 15, the Paul-Vallon middle school in Givors, south of Lyon, remained virtually at a standstill. The cause of this movement: ever-increasing school violence and a general feeling of dissatisfaction. What are the staff demanding? Classification in the priority education network (REP), the only way, according to them, to obtain sufficient human resources. The previous week was one of extremes.
A climate of violence ignored for years
A supervisor was assaulted while trying to calm a student, a colleague suffered a broken thumb while separating two middle school students, and several fires broke out on the school grounds. Incidents are multiplying, and adults are overwhelmed. "It's unacceptable," denounces a math teacher, who points to the lack of resources in the face of escalating violence. Student testimonies confirm the seriousness of the climate. Hair pulling, blows that lead to hospitalization, verbal and physical attacks are becoming commonplace in the courtyard and hallways. Intervening is becoming risky: some students ignore the supervisors, continue the blows, and refuse to obey. A daily routine that has become unbearable.
A meeting at the rectorate, little hope for teachers
The school, with over 500 students and around 40 teachers, is demanding appropriate resources: smaller class sizes, more supervisors, a full-time social worker, and a second education counselor. These requests have been made for years, with no concrete response. Gabriel Attal, then Minister of Education, had promised the college's entry into the priority network. Nicole Belloubet had also spoken about it. Since then, nothing. Radio silence since the change of government. The rectorate, for its part, assures that it is paying "special attention" to the establishment. A delegation will be received on Wednesday. But the teachers, unconvinced, are suspending the movement due to a lack of resources to continue it. Their anger, however, is not diminishing.
