Élisabeth Borne tried on Sunday evening to escape the controversy over her attitude in Mayotte. The Minister of Education therefore admitted to having shown clumsiness in the face of local teachers during her visit to the archipelago devastated by a cyclone.
Returning to BFMTV on the criticism aroused after the broadcast of a video where we see the former Prime Minister turn her back on two teachers who question her about the difficulties of accessing state aid in the affected department, she made her mea culpa.
Borne’s “regret”
“I have one regret: I did not explain to them that I had to leave because I had colleagues of theirs […] who were waiting for me,” she said. “It’s been ten times that I’ve been told “The procession must leave” […] obviously it’s a mistake not to say goodbye to them,” conceded Élisabeth Borne.
The minister also took the opportunity to return to the educational situation in the archipelago. The start of the school year, scheduled from January 13 in Mayotte, will take place according to “the situation of each establishment”, during the census, she declared. “There is a precise census of the state of schools and establishments which is underway,” she said. “I said it very clearly, both to school managers and to union organizations: obviously, we will adapt the start of the school year on a case-by-case basis.”
Faced with a “very tense situation” and “the need to organize rotations in schools which cannot accommodate all the students, particularly in the first grade”, the minister said she hoped “to be able to have 70% of the classes” and wanting to “see how we can deploy additional capabilities”.
“School tents” will be set up
The “Mayotte standing” plan, presented this week by François Bayrou, mentioned the possibility of “temporary schooling in France” for those who wish it. The Prime Minister recalled that France had done it for Ukraine. In Mayotte, “school tents” will be set up “for the first needs”.
Our articles on the situation in Mayotte
To help education staff “in difficulty, who may have lost their car or had their house damaged”, “emergency aid in the amount of 2,000 euros” will be paid “immediately” to some “5,000 people”, the “less paid”, further indicated Élisabeth Borne. She also indicated that “3.8 million social funds” have been “set up to support students” and that “300 euros” are paid “to all Mahorese students to help them during this difficult period”.
