- The mayor of the small town of Saulce-sur-Rhône (Drôme) announces that he will "keep the keys" to his school on May 11.
- It has issued a decree to this effect and refuses to withdraw it as required by the Prefecture.
The mayor of a small commune in the Drôme, who for health reasons is opposed to the reopening of schools on May 11, has issued a decree to this effect and refuses to withdraw it as required by the prefecture.
"I maintain my position. On May 11, I will keep the keys to the school in my pocket, "said Henri Fauqué, DVG mayor of Saulce-sur-Rhône since 1983, Wednesday, the day after the Prime Minister's announcements on the reopening of educational establishments.
A decree of April 23
On April 23, after initial indications from the Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, the town councilor - former senior official - issued an order now the closure, until further notice, of the schools and the school restaurant in this village of 2,000 inhabitants.
A hundred children currently eat in the canteen, in two services, which usually takes two hours. “If you want to respect the necessary distances, you will need four, and disinfect everything between each service. Four hours of suspension at the meridian break, how do we do it? "
The prefect of Drôme has since asked him to withdraw his decree, but the elected official will do nothing about it, determined to defend his arguments before the administrative court or even the Council of State.
Lack of unsuitable staff, masks and premises
In his text, the mayor invokes "the health disorders generated by the pandemic", "the lack of masks" and the difficulties in making children respect the recommended barrier measures. He also points to a lack of staff and inadequate premises because they are old. The construction of a new school, which was due to open next school year, was interrupted by the epidemic.
"If we put the children back in school, from morning to night, it is to send the parents back to work, which I can understand from an economic point of view, but today my priority is health" , underlines Henri Fauqué. "Children and teachers are not charged the price of restoring the health of large groups," he adds. According to him, "70% minimum" of parents of pupils in the town, whose representatives he consulted, are demanding "real precautionary measures" and oppose the reopening of schools in the state.
The Minister of Education announced Wednesday that the health protocol governing the resumption of school would be clarified Friday, after discussion with the mayors and teachers' unions for its local variations. A calendar that does not allow to be ready on May 11, said the mayor of Saulce.
“When are we going to recruit the necessary staff? When are we going to train him? Me today I do not have the means to respect the sanitary obligations enshrined in my police power. If tomorrow someone comes to give me, I'm open, ”he concludes.
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