Alpes-Maritimes: To protest a class closure, a mayor enrolls himself with his 'doudou' in kindergarten

Le Figaro reports on a highly symbolic protest by the mayor and municipal council of Breil-sur-Roya, a town in the Alpes-Maritimes region of France. In a striking act of defiance against the proposed closure of a kindergarten class, the elected officials have enrolled themselves, along with their 'doudous' (comfort toys), into the school. This unusual demonstration is designed to draw attention to the potential consequences of reducing educational resources in a community that has already faced significant hardship, notably from Storm Alex.

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On Monday at 8:00 AM, with the 18 other elected officials of the municipal council, we will all come to the village school with our backpacks and our doudous and we will enter one of the three kindergarten classes.

The article frames this action as a last resort after numerous appeals to authorities have seemingly gone unheard. The mayor, Sébastien Olharan, emphasizes the town's commitment to its children and its disappointment with what he perceives as a broken promise from the education authorities. The local perspective is one of frustration and a deep-seated belief that the state's word should hold value, especially in a community striving to rebuild and maintain its vitality. The visual of elected officials attending kindergarten underscores the perceived absurdity of the decision to close a class when student numbers are rising.

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The goal is to 'show what it feels like to group 50 children into only two classes'.

From the perspective of a French publication like Le Figaro, this story highlights a tension between central educational policy and the realities on the ground in rural communities. The article contrasts the inspector d'académie's statistical approach, focusing on average class sizes, with the mayor's plea for maintaining community infrastructure and honoring past commitments. The narrative emphasizes the human element – the children, the teachers, and the community's collective effort – against bureaucratic decision-making. This protest is not just about a single classroom; it's about the future of a small town and the state's commitment to its citizens, particularly in areas recovering from natural disasters.

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For me, the word of the State has value. We could understand it if our numbers were decreasing but we will have 161 children next school year while they were only 135 in 2021.