A courageous and ambitious project
It is an ambitious and courageous project that the Loire-Atlantique Departmental Council has been carrying for almost two years. That of combating the segregation at work in the region's colleges. And the first results are here! At the start of the school year and after a complete renovation of the buildings, a new college has just opened in the city center from Nantes. It brings together students who previously went to 3 colleges now closed. One of themRosa Park Middle School, was classified as REP+. By doing this, the social diversity of the new establishmentthe heterogeneity of the audiences welcomed, is bigger only in the 3 closed establishments.
The stated objective is to improve social cohesion in the region and increase equality of opportunity by avoiding house arrest for young people from working-class neighborhoods.
A project involving all parties concerned
But not everything happens with a snap of the fingers. This required the involvement of families and their representatives well in advance.. It was necessary to allay fears and meet their legitimate expectations. The public transport offer has been modified accordingly. Let us also not forget that renovation represents a massive investment for the community.
In the same way, support for staff is essential. If teachers had the possibility of being transferred to the new establishment (or benefiting from a school card measure), the teams coming from the 3 colleges would gradually learn to know each other and work together. A time of adaptation and a review of teaching practices are necessary. On these last points, the head of the establishment underlines the great involvement and the voluntarism of staff.
However, everything is not perfect and it would not be a question of being an angelist. If the new college is a magnificent setting and, in many aspects, a successful renovation, there is problems related to its opening that needs to be resolved. Furthermore, on the day of our visit, the staff coming from Rosa Park learned thata stab at the promises of the Rectorate was worn: the REP+ premium maintained initially for 3 years is now announced as degressive. An economy of pieces of petty string, made on the backs of local actorswhich could have consequences on membership in future projects similar.
A project evaluated by scientists
An evaluation is planned through, in particular, a study financed by the city of Nantes and the Departmental Council. This overall project is not limited to just the opening of the new college, even if this is emblematicatic. A change in broader school sectorization is concomitant. Other actions are planned with the desire toextend this social diversity outside of school time. The premises of the former REP+ college could be at the center of an initiative attracting, this time, an audience from the city center to the outlying districts.
A renewed attractiveness of the public sector
An additional expectation is to thus making public sector colleges more attractive and avoiding the flight of some students to the private sector. Avoidance of the old REP+ college was estimated at around 50%. We may also regret that, here as elsewhere, only the public sector carries this ambition of social diversity.
This “Nantes Centre” college is now looking for a name. “Why not that of a resistance fighter from Nantes?” asks a teacher on site. A very nice idea and it is the students who, in the end, will choose.
A round table to extend the debate: school diversity in the service of living together
On October 16, at the Herdrie high school in Vertoux, Vincent Danis (Vice-president of departmental councileducation and educational policy), Cécile Chénédé (President of the FCPE and member of CDAL), Pierre Le Peltier (Coordinator of social inclusion projects through sporting activity) Morgane Verviersgeneral secretary of theUNSA education et Willie Charbonniernational advisor to the educational policy sector of theUNSA educationdiscussed the questions: “Why experience it together? Why diversity? What are the challenges for the region? » in a round table moderated by Denis Adamcoordinator of the federal project ofUNSA education.
To go further:
Public and private under contract: acting against unfair competition
