“Here begins the school perimeter”: in certain establishments in the canton of Vaud, this is the message which invites parents not to impose themselves unduly when they arrive in a playground. Some deplore “fuzzy communication”, even an “absurd” measure.
“The school territory is not a territory where parents can come freely.” The message from Cédric Blanc, general director of the Vaud school, is clear: enter the playground, but also understand when you are (or not) “welcome”.
In several establishments in the canton of Vaud, teachers have indeed sounded the alarm in the face of parents of students who are too intrusive. Some approach the windows and wave to their child before the bell rings, which distracts the little ones.
This yellow line is useless, everyone crosses it
To calm things down, some schools set a limit, literally. At the Collège de Mallieu in Pully (VD), this took the form of yellow markings on the ground to prevent parents from entering the building.
“It’s completely absurd,” reacts a mother in the courtyard. “This yellow line is useless, everyone crosses it.”
A little further on, a father says he understands “the motivation” behind the measure, but regrets a lack of communication. “Even now, not everyone knows what it is,” he notes.
Ground marking, sign, letter to parents
Between municipalities, strategies differ. In Vufflens-la-Ville (VD), the municipality had first planned ground markings, as in Pully, but it ultimately favored an information panel, installed this Wednesday. And in Montreux, a letter was received on Thursday by parents telling them not to enter the playground during classes.
So where should we place the cursor between freedom and security? The Director General of Compulsory Education (DGEO) wants to be reassuring. Barricading schools, “like what we can see in certain regions in France”, is not on the agenda, promises Cédric Blanc. The school must remain “a caring place”, but we must simply encourage the community to use this territory “together” and with respect, he concludes.
Radio subject: Dominique Choffat
Adaptation web: Doreen Enssle
