One of the five classes of the intercommunal educational group (RPI) of Nitting-Voyer-Hermelange is about to close at the start of the next school year due to a lack of students.
Currently, the establishment has 94 students, i.e. four less than the threshold required by National Education. A situation that the mayor of Voyer, Bertrand Janson, described as “ubiquitous” on RTL, recalling that this class had been able to open in 2021 with only 90 students.
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An original initiative to save the classroom
To remedy this situation, the parents of students and elected officials of the municipalities concerned have decided to push the absurdity to its climax by enrolling four sheep in school. This initiative echoes a similar action carried out in 2019 by parents in Belledonne, in Isère, where 15 sheep were registered to increase the school’s numbers.
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Sheep with unexpected names
The four files, bearing the names of John Deere, Marguerite Duprés, Phil Tondu and Valériane Deschamps, have been duly completed and submitted to National Education. These sheep, belonging to a local farmer, were even supposed to meet their future friends on May 6 in the playground.
However, this meeting was cut short: “The teachers were ordered to keep the children confined as long as the sheep were there. They therefore wisely returned to their sheepfold…”lamented Loïc Firtion, president of the RPI parents’ association, to Républicain Lorrain.
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A mobilization that continues
Despite this failure, the mobilization of parents does not weaken and they continue to look for solutions to avoid the closure of the class. This symbolic action drew attention to the challenges faced by small rural schools in the face of the strict criteria of National Education.
By enrolling sheep in school, parents and elected officials hope to highlight the importance of flexibility and adaptability in educational policies, while drawing attention to the specific needs of rural communities.
