The sky falls on their heads, or at least, on a piece of false ceiling: this is what happened in the classroom of Françoise Cahen, a literature teacher at the Maximilien-Perret institute, in Alfortville (Val-de-France). ), Monday, October 14. It was not the first time: in 2015, a false ceiling had already fallen on a student in the middle of class, without him sustaining injuries.
“I have never known that the high school was in good condition, there has always been a waterproofing problem”M says.me Cahen, who has been teaching there since it opened in 1997. The situation has deteriorated especially since 2021: after very violent storms, the false ceiling on the third floor collapsed, letting water leak into several classrooms. Same scenario in January 2024, on the third floor of the high school. “For the first time in my career I used my right of withdrawal”says the teacher. Eight other classmates of his did the same, among the hundred teachers at the institute. “We have not had salary withdrawals, testifies Morgan Lanoë, professor of literature. Because they clearly saw that there was a danger: our right of withdrawal was justified. »
The issue of the deterioration of school buildings is a recurring theme in Ile-de-France, led by Valérie Pécresse (Les Républicains) since 2015. According to an audit of the region, in 2017, 190 secondary schools in ruins (41% of the stock ) had to be renovated. In 2021, the regional Court of Auditors mentioned that a general renovation of only 23% of these highly degraded secondary schools was planned, in 2017 and 2027.
“Patch” work
Despite the context of budgetary restrictions that weigh on the communities, James Chéron, vice president of the region, responsible for secondary schools, assures that the community’s investment objectives have been re-evaluated and that it will invest one billion euros in 2025 for the renovation of establishments in the Ile-de-France region.
At the beginning of October, the region launched a public tender for the renovation works of the Maximilien-Perret institute, estimated at 2 million euros, the amount of which it did not specify. “We are totally involved in solving waterproofing problems, says James Chéron. The Maximilien-Perret institute has already mobilized 7 million euros since 2016 for security works in outdoor spaces, the replacement of the fire safety system and the smoke extraction system, the investment of the monumental staircase and, more recently, the resumption of the institute’s coverage. . »
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