Three days after the attack on a senior education adviser at the Stendhal college in Toulouse, the rector of the academy, Mostafa Fourar, grants an interview to France Bleu Occitanie. Thursday, September 22, this lady intervened in a fight between two schoolgirls in the courtyard of this establishment, located in the Faourette district. She falls and when she is on the ground, six other middle schoolers hit her.
A salvo of kicks and punches that only ends when a teacher and another college student come to his aid. Shocked, the principal education adviser (CPE) did not wish to speak.
Rector, what happened at Stendhal College last Thursday, as far as you know?
It was a fight that broke out in the playground between two students, two young girls. A pedagogical adviser came between the two young girls and she was jostled before falling. It is at this moment thatshe received beatings from many students who witnessed the fight.
I strongly condemn the behavior of these students and any violence imported into the establishments. It’s something we won’t accept
First, I would like to salute the courage of this CPE. I showed him, of course, all my solidarity. I would also like to thank the teacher and student who came to her rescue. I salute the responsibility of the teaching team, because they kept the students in the establishment. These are really teachers involved: the next day, the incident was closed.
Obviously, the two young girls involved in the fight have been excluded, pending the disciplinary council, which must decide on the final exclusion or on another measure. The six other students who struck have been identified and also expelled. Since then, the teaching team has met around the head of the establishment to analyze the situation.
But this violence, it also exists outside the establishment, it is imported there because the tension also exists in the district, which is in an educational city. We will mobilize its mediators to work with families and young people. Because parents need to take responsibility. The sanction, of course, will be severe because we cannot accept such violence against a member of National Education.
You have heard from this CPE. How is she today?
To my knowledge, this CPE is doing well, after being taken care of by the college nurse.
At first she did not wish to file a complaint, but we insisted with the head of the establishment, so that she could do so.
The headteacher also lodged a complaint becauseThere needs to be a legal follow-up to this case.. Because it is an act of violence that cannot be accepted within an establishment.
What other measures are taken in this Stendhal college?
There was an intervention by the management team in all the classes, to remind the students of the rules. We have also set up a listening unit for students and staff. We will implement conflict and crisis management training for educational assistants and teachers. And of course, the establishment will be accompanied by inspectors to work on the school climate and on violence, inside and around the establishment.
Implementing this type of training, does this mean that violence in your establishments is becoming an increasingly important subject?
Absolutely. In this Stendhal college, in a district covered by priority education, the teaching team does a wonderful job on the educational level, but it is not trained in crisis management. And this social tension that exists around the establishment today is inside the establishment.
It is the responsibility of everyone and in the first place, of the parents
Our teachers are not trained to manage this social tension. This is why we are going to set up this training, even if it will not solve the problem of course. Parents need to realize that when their children are actors in this violence, they may be exposed to sanctions.
Do you think it is becoming necessary for National Education personnel to train in crisis management?
The reality is thattoday, our educational system is not impervious to what is happening outside. And so our teachers have to take into account this social tension that exists and in their formation, they must be given keys.
I don’t ask the teachers to solve the problems of violence. But when you have a CPE that intervenes in a fight, it’s called crisis management. These are the first steps that must be taken to restore order in the establishment. Then, the institution assumes its responsibilities and takes over, managing the crisis situation. Where the need is expressed by the teachers, we have the possibility of setting up these training courses.
What I can tell you is that it is a phenomenon that concerns us. This violence is something that is happening more and more, especially from young girls. So prevention work must be carried out and we are listening to the educational teams to find out if we need to carry out awareness-raising actions with them.