"Unable to reopen middle and high schools in May." In videoconference with Édouard Philippe Thursday, the president of the Executive council of the local authority of Martinique, Alfred Marie-Jeanne, was very clear. The island's 43 public colleges and 23 public high schools will not reopen in May, as must be the case in mainland France. "An educational organization must be deployed to complete school support and ensure the start of the new school year in September."
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Unable to clean establishments by May 11
Concretely, to welcome students on the dates planned by the Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, it would first of all be necessary to clean the schools. This would require the mobilization of more than 1,000 agents, not to mention that each must be equipped with at least three protective masks per day. However, "the existing stock in masks", as much as "the uncertainty of the arrival of new stocks" does not make it possible to "meet this requirement". Alfred Marie-Jeanne also affirms that "there can be no question of exposing schoolchildren and staff to the risk of contamination".
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"The conditions are not met"
Words that come after the decision of the mayor of the Preacher, Marcelin Nadeau, not to reopen the school in his town on May 11. "Given the difficulties due to compliance with barrier gestures, the organization of school meals, but also the fact that there is no generalization of tests or massive screening, the conditions are not met", believes the official of this city in northern Martinique at the microphone of Europe 1.
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Union strike notice effective May 11
He now calls on all the mayors of Martinique to meet next Wednesday to take a common position. For its part, a teachers' union has filed a strike notice which will take effect from May 11. In a press release published Thursday, he called on the National Education to strengthen the means at the start of the September school year overseas.