Now it's time to tackle school dilapidation

School is often seen as a concept, that of a child's compulsory education. We almost forget that, first and foremost, school is a physical place. Students go there on foot, by car or by bus, and spend a large part of their day and year there. That's why it's so important that the building in which they are housed is spotless. Unfortunately, the reality is often quite different.

Schools falling apart

The degradation of schools is frequently denounced in the media. The anger of parents and teachers rumbles on as schools fall to pieces. Poorly insulated classrooms, leaky roofs that let in precipitation, mold on walls or water infiltration- the picture is frightening enough for anyone interested. The percentage of public buildings that seem to have been abandoned by government authorities increases every year, with almost no publicity, except when news reports mention them.

Some would argue that these are superficial concerns. Isn't it secondary to worry about the premises? What counts is the quality of the teaching, right? Certainly, but holding classes in rooms that are overwhelmed by scorching heat, winter cold or having to speak over sounds coming from outside or from other classrooms is a colossal challenge. Wellness is not a luxury. Even less so when the mind has to concentrate on acquiring knowledge.

The question of toilets is evocative. A November 2022 report shows that 8 out of 10 French pupils refrain from using the school toilet. The picture is even less glowing than in the classroom: most bathrooms are dirty, many have no doors and lack toilet paper or soap. The situation is the same whether you 're in Sahel or Lyon.

In fact, this situation is nothing new. As a student myself between 1990 and 2000, I personally remember that toilets were not the best-maintained parts of the schools I attended. This France Culture program from January 2023 is a good reminder of the extent to which this almost taboo issue is detrimental to the well-being of children, who can't concentrate as well when they have to go to the toilet.

It also tackles the whole issue of dilapidated school buildings. In France, the problem dates back to the 1970s. The massification of education and schools led public authorities to underestimate the need for maintenance. All the more so as this responsibility falls on the communes, which do not always allocate the necessary sums. Even the teaching staff, aware and discouraged by the situation, shrug their shoulders and do the best they can, hoping for a greater commitment to maintenance on the part of the municipalities.

The school, an environment in constant transformation?

So, what needs to be done? Clearly, major investment is needed to resolve the many problems in the networks. Emmanuel Macron has promised a major ecological restoration project for schools in the spring of 2023. However, many are skeptical, since no amount has been announced and specialists are talking about pharaonic sums: almost 40 billion euros over ten years would be needed. It is also necessary for government departments and authorities to accept the conclusions of the expert reports. François Legault, Premier of Quebec, for example, has cast doubt on the portrait of school dilapidation, which states that 62% of elementary school and 65% of secondary schools are in poor or very poor condition.

Many schools, while waiting for the funds to arrive, rely on the "system D" by fundraising and asking for volunteers, especially for small schools. Some schools have been lucky enough to call on architects and designers to renovate their halls and living spaces to bring them up to date. This was the case at the Frida Kahlo school in Bruges, Gironde. But these remain the exceptions.

Laurent Jeannin, a lecturer on the subject of educational spaces, who spoke on the France Culture program, hopes not only that there will be a movement to renovate schools, but that we'll stop thinking about the issue in fixed terms. If we want schools to be up to date, perhaps we should think of them as spaces that will have to change over time. An example of this can be seen in Quebec, where obsolescence ratings don't take modern needs into account. In fact, in classrooms with greater use of digital devices, the number of power outlets required should increase. Yet assessments and renovations rarely take this into account.

The issue of school stock is not one to be taken lightly. The neglect of recent decades has led to a rather depressing picture. Solutions do exist, and they certainly require good money, but above all a philosophy of the school as a changing living environment that prepares future generations for the challenges of tomorrow.

Photo: kyo azuma / Unsplash

References

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