The start of the school year was postponed in Mayotte due to the passage of storm Dikeledi. It will not take place until next week, at the earliest, for teachers; and subsequently for children, the Minister of Education, Elisabeth Borne, said on Monday January 13.
“We took, with the Prime Minister, the decision to postpone the start of the administrative year. This cannot [sur]come, in the best case, before next week »note Mme Borne in a letter addressed Monday to the staff of the Mayotte academy, of which Agence France-Presse obtained a copy. The return of Mayotte students will take place after that of teachers, with no date announced for the moment.
The return of teachers and school staff had, until now, been delayed by one day to Tuesday in anticipation of the passage of storm Dikeledi, and to January 20 for students. “Storm Dikeledi has once again tested your resilience as you were barely recovering from the damage caused by Cyclone Chido”writes the minister.
The postponement of the administrative start is intended to give teachers time to “deal with the personal consequences of this climatic event and to best prepare for a first welcome in schools and establishments”details Mme Terminal. Some schools suffered further damage from the storm, and they will need to “prepare a recovery plan specific to their establishment, then communicate to parents and, secondly, welcome the students”we explain to the minister’s office.
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A “logical” postponement
“The decision has not been made, but we are studying (…) the delay in the administrative start-up (…) probably next Monday, and the start of the school year for a few days, January 27”declared Monday Manuel Valls, Minister for Overseas Territories, during a hearing before the Economic Affairs Committee of the National Assembly. Furthermore, Mme Borne plans to return to Mayotte “in the coming weeks”we tell his office, even if a date has not yet been set.
The Mayotte academy employs just over 10,000 people, including more than 8,000 teachers. Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary of the SNES-FSU union, describes the postponement of the start of the school year as ” logic “. “The ministry really needs to rely on realities on the ground rather than relying on a date as was the case a few weeks ago”she estimates in a reaction to Agence France-Presse.
“We will now have to define a precise and rigorous method: visit to establishments, security protocol… While it is obvious that students must not stay away from school for too long, the return to school can only be done in a secure manner » and it is also necessary “take into account the state of mental health of colleagues”many of whom are exhausted, morally and physically, adds Mme Vénétitay.
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