Europe 1 with AFP 12:53 p.m., April 2, 2024

Twelve towns in Seine-Saint-Denis on Tuesday put the State on notice to apply the “emergency plan” for education in the department, against a backdrop of mobilization of teachers and parents of students for more than 'a month.

Since February 26, a protest movement has been formed to demand more resources for schools in Seine-Saint-Denis, the poorest territory in mainland France. In this context, "several mayors of Seine-Saint-Denis have put the French state on notice to guarantee equality in the public education service as quickly as possible", declared the councilors of twelve municipalities in a press release. on the left (Romainville, Montreuil, La Courneuve, Bobigny, Bagnolet, Pantin...).

The towns have each issued a decree ordering the State to pay them 500 euros per day

Based on a 1985 decision of the Council of State on "respect for the dignity of the human person", the cities each issued a decree ordering the State to pay them 500 euros per day until that it provides “means commensurate with educational needs”.

Each of the decrees details by municipality the number of additional positions for teachers or those supporting students with disabilities (AESH) requested from the State, based on figures from the FSU, CGT, SUD and CNT inter-union association. "The dignity of the human person is not respected (...) when two parliamentary reports, a few years apart, report the territorial discrimination suffered by Seine-Saint-Denis in terms of general allocations and resources allocated to education", estimate the mayors.

Mobilizations are increasing in Seine-Saint-Denis

Demonstrations, strikes and “deserted school” operations have been increasing over the past month in Seine-Saint-Denis. The department's unions are demanding the creation of 5,000 teaching positions and just over 3,000 school life jobs. They also denounce the dilapidation of certain buildings.

The prefecture has the choice between paying the penalty of 500 euros per day to each of the twelve cities or contesting the orders in the administrative court. Contacted by AFP, it indicated that it was studying its response.