Noémie Loiselle 8:56 a.m., March 17, 2024

Two days after the arrest of a schoolboy who threatened his principal with a knife in his establishment near Dijon, the usefulness of the anti-intrusion alarm continues to be noticed.

Obligatory since the attacks of 2015, this alarm, which was triggered by the head of the college, allowed adolescents to confine themselves to their classrooms.

He is described as disturbed and disruptive... Last Friday, a schoolboy from an establishment in the Dijon region threatened his principal with a knife.

But thanks to the latter's composure, the tragedy was avoided.

The director of the establishment notably activated the anti-intrusion alarm.

An action which allowed the students to immediately confine themselves to the classrooms, thus making themselves safe while the schoolboy, still carrying a knife, tried to enter his class.

>>READ ALSO -

 Attacks, threats... at school, school staff are immersed in an anxiety-provoking atmosphere

These role-playing exercises are well known to students, teachers and staff: “We do evacuation exercises when there is a fire, containment exercises when there is an intrusion,” explains to the microphone d Europe 1, Pierre N'Gahane, rector of the Dijon academy.

Before adding: "We are in a secure establishment. There are cameras everywhere. If you go around on public roads, you have cameras." 

“The devil is in the details”

A procedure which, however, has some flaws.

Just after the intruder alert, the fire alarm also went off, creating confusion among the students.

Some left the establishment while the suspect was still in the corridors, continues the rector. 

“We have to rework because unfortunately, the devil is in the detail and these are exercises that we must continue at the level of National Education,” he believes.

Since the attacks of 2015, all schools, colleges and high schools have been required to put in place a specific security plan and to equip themselves with an anti-intrusion alarm.

But according to certain teaching unions, this does not exist in all establishments.