Masked students in a classroom – SYSPEO / SIPA
- Parents of students from a school in Pennes-Mirabeau are worried about the conditions in which their children study, between the heat and the wearing of a mask.
- Temperatures exceeding 30 degrees were recorded in the morning in some classes.
- Students were victims of discomfort at the end of last week.
“Cook or learn, at La Renardière, should you choose?” “In this school of 15 classes in Pennes-Mirabeau, a small town in Bouches-du-Rhône at the gates of Marseille, the parents of the pupils do not hide their concern, while the temperatures of the last few days are particularly high in the region . “Our children go to class in an exhausting heat, alarmed Anne-Sophie Cuif, secretary of the Les Renardeaux association at school. The teachers were able to record temperatures of up to 35 degrees in the classes, in the morning! “
At the end of last week, several children showed signs of distress in the face of the heat, like Enzo, Lisa’s son, who attended fifth grade. “Thursday, I had to go get my son because he wanted to vomit and a headache, she testifies. I’m very worried ! “” I was called on Friday because my son had suffered from an illness, says Dominique, another mother of a student. He was drowsy, slumped at his desk, even though he’s a little boy who is rarely sick. Besides with the mask, my son says he has trouble breathing. I am a caregiver, and I find that all of this is not very good for her health! “” My daughter Romane, in first grade, is really fed up with the mask, abounds Nelly. Yesterday, like every day for the past few days, she was dripping with sweat when I went to pick her up after school. The situation is catastrophic. “
Boxes in the windows
A problem known for a long time in this school which welcomes 430 children, according to Anne-Sophie Cuif. “Our school is in an old building from the 1970s,” she explains. The courtyard is all asphalted. There is not a tree. The windows are without shutters or curtains, which means that some classrooms have the sun shining in the morning. Teachers are forced to put boxes in the windows to protect themselves from the sun! “
According to this delegate of parents of students, the efforts made by the town hall of Pennes-Mirabeau, alerted for a long time, would be clearly insufficient. “To do work on the facade, you would need a very long cap, and we were told that the town hall was not capable. To add shutters with slats, we were told, based on an experience at another school, that it was not strong enough. We are promised a green courtyard but which will be effective in three years at best. “
Battle around the curtains
Since their media rant, mobile air conditioning was installed on Tuesday in each class. “But they are totally ineffective, plague Véronique. You want to laugh ? It diffuses heat! “We have the impression of being wandered from year to year, waiting for a budget waiting for a budget, sighs Anne-Sophie Cuif. What we want are efficient and rapid solutions first, and then a real plan to insulate the building. And for that, we would first like real air conditioning in the classrooms and curtains in each one, and not just in two of them as has been promised. “
Remarks which have the gift of annoying somewhat the mayor of Pennes-Mirabeau, Michel Amiel. “Yes, it’s hot,” launches the city councilor. But do you think it’s the only place in the area where it’s hot? You must know that my granddaughter is in this school. If there was any danger, action would have been taken. The notion of urgency is quite relative. If parents have stepped up to the plate through the media, it is because they are guided by some of my political opponents. “
And to affirm: “I refuse to put air conditioners for ecological reasons. And if it is a question of curtains, curtains will be put on. The order has been placed, but given the procedure, I am not sure that I will be satisfied within two weeks. Météo France forecasts temperatures reaching 35 ° C for the next few days in Pennes-Mirabeau.