in this town of Seine-et-Marne, the new oasis courtyard worries parents

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“We can’t say it’s over. It was supposed to be finished by the start of the school year, but that’s not the case. It’s dangerous.” In front of the Pointes school, in Thorigny-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne), several representatives of the Pointes independent parents’ association are angry. While the town hall is pleased to have completed the transformation into an oasis course of a first school, that of Pointes, on the plateau, they are not of the same opinion and make it known. “Do you feel like it’s over?” », they ask.

Part of the courtyard inaccessible

In the courtyard, initially entirely concreted, the spaces returned to the ground are currently surrounded by ganovelles, low fences made of wooden stakes. They are condemned, while the grass grows and the town hall proceeds with the planting. Sixteen trees and eight species of shrubs as well as numerous grasses must be planted. With the transformation, “nearly 60%” of the court was deconcretedannounces the town hall.

But this currently represents so many spaces that children cannot, for the moment, access. “It sucks”scolds a child coming out of school. “We can’t go and play everywhere and there are no games.”

As the entire courtyard is not accessible, the school has chosen to make delayed recess. “The students go out three classes at a time,” explain the parents. “My daughter no longer sees her friends,” points out a mother. “It’s not ideal for concentration, those who are in class hear their little friends playing outside…” notes one dad.

Fears about security

After the start of the school year, the parents of the students circulated a petition which has collected 168 signatures to date. “We are not against the project. The courtyard lacked shade. But here, it is neither done nor to be done,” explains Nicolas Despert. For these parents, the playground is no longer suitable and even poses security problems.

Children were injured by the stakes. We ask them not to run anymore so we find them in the evening excited because they haven’t been able to let off steam. Not to mention that there is now a pond in the middle of the yard.

In a space covered with wood chips, in fact, was formed a large puddle of watermore or less large depending on the precipitation: “It slips, there are stones”, note the parents of the students when the petition describes the wood chips as “dangerous sharp elements, with splinters and (could) be used (s) as projectiles”.

If parents, like children, were consulted for this project, they believe that their recommendations were not taken into account in the name of financial constraints. “We wanted to remove the wall. And instead of investing in rolls of grass, they preferred to buy barriers,” laments Nicolas Despert.

A period of “transition” according to the town hall

For its part, the town hall is taking on its project which cost 320 000 eurosbut who, thanks to grantsshould in fine around 150,000 euros according to municipal estimates.

There may have been misunderstandings. But from the start, it was said that we would have to do with a transition period. The schedule was known.

According to the municipality, the courtyard is well finished in the sense that the “structural redevelopment” is complete. THE jeux, which will be made up of three cabins, two in elementary and one in nursery where there are already other games and a wooden course for the development of motor skills, must arrive for All Saints’ Day. As for the plantationsthey will therefore be done by the end of the year. Concerning the rolls of grass, the town hall explains that it will sow a special grass, robust enough to survive trampling: “Even with rolls, it would have taken time to set,” she adds.

Will it not be necessary see the space transformed into a pond again ? “We opened this space following comments from parents. It should, like the others, have been open later,” replied the town hall. In this case, after the games arrive. At this point only, the chips should have been installed, after the drainage had been correctly carried out, we are told.

What about the level, currently failing? A student actually tripped and fell due to this dip. “The fact that the space was trampled caused there to be settlement. This will be taken up when the games are installed,” assures the municipality, which does not say it is closed to possible future adaptations. “We will be able to arrange according to practices. In the meantime, National Education came and did not question the safety of the children. »

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