“An act of resistance and anger”, justifies one of them

The 12 elected officials who accuse the State of “misconduct” expect to be “put on notice”. But “we will not give up”, warns Patrice Bessac.

It is “an act of resistance and anger to say that our children have the right to be treated equally with the other children of the Republic”explained Tuesday April 2 on franceinfo Patrice Bessac, mayor of Montreuil and president of Est Ensemble, while 12 municipalities of Seine-Saint-Denis are attacking the State due to the lack of teachers in the department.

Elected officials from Montreuil, Bobigny, La Courneuve and Romainville will publish decrees on Tuesday to put the State on notice to launch as soon as possible an emergency plan for education in Seine-Saint-Denis. “This is an alarming observation for the Republic, because it simply means that children in Seine-Saint-Denis do not have the same rights as children who live in Rambouillet or Paris. And it has been years since inequalities are wideningdenounced Patrice Bessac.

This action comes after weeks of mobilization organized by teachers since the start of the February vacation. In Seine-Saint-Denis, students lose 15% of their lesson hours, or a year of their schooling, due to a lack of teachers. “There is a direct attack on their dignity and one of the cardinal values ​​which is the equality of all citizens before the intervention of the State”estimated Patrice Bessac.

“This inequality occurs in indifference”

While “reports are published every year”, “this inequality occurs in indifference”, deplores the mayor. “We will not give up”, he warns. The twelve socialist, environmentalist or communist mayors are asking the government to hire teachers and staff who welcome children with disabilities: “It’s still crazy that teachers are forced to demonstrate, and therefore lose days of salary, to simply demand to be treated in our department like everywhere in France”he protests.

It is likely that the prefect of the department will take legal action: “We expect that we will indeed be served notice. But we are ready to go to court, to go before the Council of State to have the inequality of State action recognized on the national territory is a mistake”he warns.