In response to the mobilization of the teachers at Jean-Henri Fabre middle school in the north of Nice, Christian Estrosi supports the educational community and officially asks the Ministry of National Education to consider classifying the school as a Priority Education Network (REP).
The situation at Jean-Henri Fabre middle school in Nice Nord is now prompting a political reaction. On Tuesday, October 14, Christian Estrosi announced that he had contacted the superintendent of the Nice Academy and wrote to the Minister of National Education to request that the school be classified as a Priority Education Network. This stance follows the mobilization initiated by teachers since the beginning of the month.
Since the start of the school year, the middle school has experienced a significant increase in student numbers, with 90 additional students. Education teams are warning about increasingly strained reception conditions. After a scuffle occurred in front of the school’s gate, teachers stopped teaching for an hour on Monday, October 6, to demand more human resources.
In light of these tensions, Christian Estrosi affirms his “full and complete support for teachers, staff, and families” and “salutes the remarkable commitment of the educational teams and the exemplary mobilization of parents for the sake of the children.”
“This school [… ] must receive resources that match its mission”
In a statement released this Tuesday, the mayor of Nice highlights the role of Jean-Henri Fabre middle school in educating students from diverse backgrounds and welcoming children in vulnerable situations. He emphasizes the need to adapt resources to the realities on the ground.
“This school, recognized for its role of inclusion and the exemplary dedication of its teams, must receive resources that match its mission. Classifying it as REP would provide its students with reinforced support and give teachers the necessary conditions to carry out their mission in peace,” declares the mayor of Nice.
The REP system grants additional resources, reduced class sizes, and enhanced support particularly for school life. For the mayor, this classification would offer a lasting solution to the challenges faced since the school year began.
Christian Estrosi also highlights several needs expressed by staff and families such as strengthening school life teams, effectively implementing AESH for students with disabilities, and creating a UPE2A teaching position to support non-French-speaking students.
The municipality assures its readiness to support the State and National Education in this effort.
For now, the final decision rests with the ministry. Classifying as a Priority Education Network depends on a national process of re-evaluating schools. But this position marks strong political support for the mobilization of teachers and parents.
In Nice, the case of Jean-Henri Fabre middle school illustrates the tensions affecting several schools in the north of the city. With increasing student numbers, specific educational needs, and lack of resources, teaching conditions have returned to the forefront of local debate. With this official request, Christian Estrosi hopes to pave the way for a quick and suitable response for the students and the teams at the school.
A futile mobilization
A delegation of teachers was received at the academy on Thursday, October 9. Upon leaving, there were no new supervisors or an immediate prospect of transitioning to priority education. This realization is a bitter pill for the teaching staff.
Nonetheless, some measures were achieved. The academy announced additional resources for the sixth grade, as well as two assistants for students with disabilities. These advances are deemed “largely insufficient.”
On Friday, October 10, the school organized a “dead day”. Parents were invited to keep their children at home while the teachers gathered to decide on the next steps of the movement.
As of now, no official decision has been made. The academy indicates that classifying as REP depends on a national framework and ministerial re-evaluation. Meanwhile, the educational community at Jean-Henri Fabre middle school continues to raise awareness of its difficulties.
