Through Marie-Madeleine Remoleur
Published on
“It’s a total failure and a total misunderstanding for everyone.” These words spoken by the mayor of Trouville sur Mer summarize well the situation in which is engulfed the intermunicipal music school today. A school which, for several weeks, has seen its destiny dwindle.
Meeting at the town hall at the start of the week, the music school union committee in particular had to record its dissolutionin what could have sounded like a last requiem, following several weeks of twists and turns.
The failure of the SPL
More than a year ago, even before the vote on an unbalanced budget, Trouville was worried about the situation of this establishment managed by a mixed syndicate welcoming pupils from different municipalities. The municipality then turned to the other municipalities concerned to find financial aid, but above all a lasting solution: it was then decided to launch a Local Public Company (SPL) from January 1, 2023. Finally, at the beginning of December, the announcement had fallen: the music school would permanently close its doors on December 31, 2022.
During the last community council, it was recalled that the SPL could not exist for various reasons. In particular, the financial problem and the distribution of the participation of the municipalities were mentioned. Once again, Trouville was asked a lot more than the others, which we considered abnormal: if we put everything back on track, it’s not so that Trouville once again assumes 50% of the this school.
The city councilor also evokes “the creation at the end of the year of a union by certain teachers of the school firmly opposed to this SPL”, not being adapted to their status as teachers.
Aiming at the community of municipalities, Francois Pedrono, mayor of Saint-Arnoult, adds: “Indeed, Trouville found itself in a somewhat difficult position: the president wanted Trouville to continue paying €145,000 per year to finance the school. Sylvie fought, I supported her by offering to pay with my council to support this school, but we were unsuccessful”. For teachers, by the voice of the former director Florence Devieilhe, there was never any question of “blocking against the SPL”, but of exchanges: “We had asked for an appointment with the president of the community of communes to talk about our concerns about this structure, we did not never had”, states the one who regrets the “violence” of recent weeks: “We could have done without all this abuse: we were sent letters to return the keys, we told the students to return their instruments… Everything this when everyone had signed up for a full year”.
An acted dissolution
A quorum error at a previous meeting necessitated replaying several deliberations. In the presence this time of a quorum, the union committee was able to vote for its dissolution. “Today, we no longer have any material means of continuing the activity of the music school via this mixed syndicate, as it was expected that on January 1st an SPL would be set up. Moreover, no budget exists for this union at the moment,” explains Sylvie de Gaetano. “I think we have to keep this union to be able to meet if there is a solution,” tried to convince François Pedrono before the secret ballot where 12 people voted for dissolution, 7 voted against.
What future for the CHAM class?
“For me, this is one of the priorities,” insisted Sylvie de Gaetano, speaking of the CHAM (class with flexible hours for music) at Mozin college. “On several occasions, I spoke with the academic director. It was expected that agreements between the National Education and teachers, as part of their ancillary activity, be signed, which would have allowed students to continue their music activity. However, it turns out that the teachers refused on the pretext that they needed authorization from the community of communes. Let’s not leave these kids without lessons, ”laments the city councilor. On this point, Florence Devieilhe, who was director of the music school and teacher, wished to speak: “We are four teachers to intervene normally: the two who are missing were on fixed-term contracts and their contract ended on 31 December. There will be two of us to ensure everything: these are not juxtaposed individual lessons, it is a collective project, it is much more ambitious than that”.
And after ?
At the start of the meeting, Sylvie de Gaetano recalled that the mayors of the community of municipalities had been asked “to think about ways to continue the music activity in each of the towns”. With regard to his commune, the city councilor continues: “In Trouville, we immediately looked for solutions. We had the CCAS vote for a financial aid to all the people who would use private teachers, and we looked for a solution with the association Musique-sur-Mer to continue certain courses, which allows us to respond to some of the demands of our population”. An answer which is not one for the former director, who was also a singing teacher, violin teacher and choir director. “It’s a false solution, it concerns less than 20 people. It’s not a solution, it’s a patch, it’s dramatic what you’re doing, ”said Florence Devieilhe, to the applause of some school defenders who came to attend the meeting. “With less harm, we have to find solutions, answers Sylvie de Gaetano, believing in more beautiful symphonies for the future: it’s a first step, we all try to rack our brains. We can also get back around the table and re-discuss the conditions of the SPL. For having exchanged with the president, there is perhaps an opening, the project of the SPL is not completely dead ”. Mixed union dead, the SPL not completely, what about the school? Mentioning the holding of a Mayors’ Office on January 20, François Pedrono concludes: “The music school is not mercurochrome on a wooden leg, it is a group of choristers, children, adults who keep the station alive and we hope to be able to restart it as soon as possible”.
Was this article helpful to you? Know that you can follow the Pays d’Auge in space My News . In one click, after registration, you will find all the news of your favorite cities and brands.
Trouville: sentenced or suspended? The destiny of the inter-municipal music school still animates