The Rivière-Salée district of Nouméa mobilizes against the closure of the college

This decision caused a lot of confusion among parents. According to the province, it will cost 800 million francs to repair the Rivière-Salée college, which was 70% destroyed in the riots. The company announced on August 6 that it was unable to carry out the work.

On Sunday, around 60 concerned parents and staff of the institution responded to the call of the Rivière-Salé Solidarity Association, which organized an exchange meeting in the municipal park.

“I don’t have a car or public transportation, what am I going to do for my daughter? A mother worries. Plus, she had all her friends at Rivière-Salée, the teachers knew her, but she was shy and it was clear that this was going to be difficult for her.”

Today, the sixth and fifth grades have returned to school, while the fourth and third grades continue to attend Marguerite-Alsapin School. But at the start of the 2025 school year, students will be assigned to academies in Portes-de-Fer, Kaméré or even Normandy. “For us, this is not A mother said. Without transportation, what are we going to do? Are we going to leave our children outside the office gates before going to work at 6am and let them hang out until the office opens? The Southern Province has made this decision without consulting key stakeholders.”

The petition was launched by the association Solidarité Rivière-Salée. Its president, Francis Maluia, is confident that despite the extent of the damage, a solution can be found: “The school has prefabricated buildings that were used as school bags for today’s classes. It is imperative to be able to operate the institution, even in a minimal mode. Closure will cause social disruption and difficulty in travelling. Reopening the college will bring some positive energy to the community.” The association hopes to organise new meetings with parents and write letters to institutions to raise awareness.

Marion Thellier and Claude Lindor report:

© New Caledonia