(Nouméa) New Caledonian schools, more or less damaged and closed since May 13 due to the unrest that shook the French archipelago in the South Pacific, will gradually reopen from June 17, the government of New Caledonia announced on Friday. Caledonia.
For the start of the school year, “the course of June 17 is maintained,” indicated the vice-president responsible for education, Isabelle Champmoreau, during a press conference in Nouméa. “It will be a very gradual return to school depending on the levels and establishments,” she added.
Primary school children will return to school on June 17, but middle school children will not return to secondary school on June 17 and 18. “Some colleges will need the week to get back on track,” underlined the vice-rector of New Caledonia and general director of education, Didier Vin-Datiche. High school students will resume on June 24.
According to Isabelle Champmoreau, it is currently difficult to precisely estimate the extent of the damage while assessments are underway and certain establishments “are difficult to access” but “around twenty schools have suffered damage, total destruction to partial damage”.
“The psychological damage is greater than the material damage which will be difficult to overcome, but (they) will be,” insisted the vice-president.
Concerning the final exams of high school students, there will be recourse to continuous assessment as was the case during the confinement linked to COVID-19.
New Caledonia has 250 primary schools, 56 middle schools and 21 high schools, public and private combined, for around 65,000 students, according to the government.
In the archipelago, students are currently on vacation (since June 1). The school year began on February 12 and will end on December 13.
