“It was quite impressive,” says Maria, 17. Last Friday, at the La Martinière-Monplaisr high school (8th arrondissement of Lyon), mortar fire resonated. Maria, on Tuesday, first described to 20 minutes trash fires and then “fireworks”. “Mortar fire at the high school? This is not the first time that this has happened, assured Shayma, passing in front of her high school this Tuesday late in the morning. However, this is the first time they’ve thrown things inside. » For these two friends, it’s “completely stupid” and “above all useless”. “If there is a concern, the student can go and talk to someone about it. There’s no point in setting a fire! », They naturally say, while two high school students were arrested in the wake of the events.
For Mathis too, in the second year of prep classes in this high school, “it’s not very smart”: “If the guy did that because he was going to a disciplinary council, he will simply have managed to get himself fired more quickly. » Siméo, also in prep, confirms that such actions “happen regularly”. Arriving last year from Ain, the student was “a little surprised”. Now he is “almost used to it”. “Last year, there were even CRS who came,” he recalls. “There, since what happened on Friday, we have the right to police officers at the entrance to the school every morning,” notes Romain, 18 years old.
Numerous reactions from all political sides
The rectorate of the Lyon academy confirms, in fact, that “National Education worked with law enforcement and communities to strengthen security and guarantee the safety of all”. He also attests that “the high school has been the site of regular incidents for two years, particularly during social movements” while maintaining that they are not “comparable to the situation on Friday which was exceptional and serious”.
Moreover, they did not go unnoticed. Relayed by numerous media, they were the subject of numerous reactions from political figures. Of EELV mayor of Lyon Grégory Doucet passing by the LR president of the region Laurent Wauquiez but also the president of the group RN in the National Assembly Marine Le Pen… up to the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin. The latter promised that “all means” would be used to arrest the ten participants. Two of them, arrested at the time of the events, were indicted. And one of the two was placed in pre-trial detention on Monday.
Less “political exploitation” and “more resources”
The inter-union of the La Martinière-Monplaisir high school immediately denounced this “political exploitation” and regretted that elected officials had used these events without “asking the real questions”. “They only respond on the theme of security and order for not having respected the “school of the Republic”, affirms to 20 minutes Eric, professor of physics and chemistry. The root of the problem is that we are in a high school which accommodates 2,000 students, with a boarding school, that there is only one nurse, there is no social worker. We need more supervisors and education advisors. And there, there is nothing on it. And this has been the case for four years. »
Aware that these problems are shared with many high schools, the professor emphasizes that those of La Martinière-Monplaisir intensified during the change in sectorization which was done in a “brutal” manner. In 2018-2019, “more young people from the 8th arrondissement” joined the establishment in order to “promote social diversity”, explains the rectorate. But subsequently, “human resources” did not follow.
Recruitments in progress
“We are not at all against diversity, we simply want adapted means,” continues Eric. We need more numbers, enough to reduce classes from 35 to 25 but also to be able to take students in small groups and have individual time. » He adds: “with more adults in the high school, we could cope with the evolution of the students, their level, their moral and even psychological state. But for that, you need a budget. And National Education does not seem to be a priority when we see what has been allocated to that of the armies. »
According to this representative of the inter-union of the establishment, it is in this way that “episodes of violence” can be stopped while giving “to as many people as possible a taste for study and hope in the ‘future “. In the meantime, the rectorate assures that it is “aware of these problems” and is doing “what is necessary to resolve them”. Recruitments are underway but have not yet been completed, according to communication from the Lyon academy.