VIDEO. “Students are not required to come to class”

At the Lycée Autogéré de Paris (LAP), there is no administration, cleaning staff or canteen staff. Everything is managed by students and teachers.

“Students are not required to come to class. There are no penalties at all for lateness or absence”, explains one of the teachers.

This autonomy makes it possible to focus learning on a voluntary basis, a great change for these students for whom traditional education was not suitable.

Involvement in high school life is encouraged by the establishment of commissions such as the reception, maintenance or student assistance and prevention commission. It is the students themselves who take care of their management.

Involvement also involves students carrying out daily tasks, such as preparing meals. LAP student Margot describes: “In this high school, we don’t have a canteen, we have meals that are prepared by the students and the teachers.”

“I find that it changes a lot because I want to go to class, I want to get involved in high school, I get along with my teachers” says Margot who joined the Lycée Autogéré this year.

The LAP is a public institution with 240 students.