Financing agreement signed for new Collège in La Savane | THE DAILY HERALD

At the signing were (from left) Préfète Déléguée Sylvie Feucher, President Gibbs and Guadeloupe Academy Recteur Mostafa Fourar.  (Robert Luckock photo)

 

MARIGOT–A financing agreement paving the way for construction of a 900-pupil Collège by 2020 was signed in Hotel de La Collectivité on Friday between President Daniel Gibbs, Préfète Déléguée Sylvie Feucher and the Recteur of the Guadeloupe Academy.

  The agreement sets the amounts allocated by the State and the Collectivité for this construction: 15 million euros contributed by the National Education Ministry for the construction of the Collège and three million euros contributed by the Ministry of Overseas Territories for an establishment that will also serve as a hurricane shelter if needed. The Collectivité, moreover, is contributing three million euros to pay all taxes levied on real estate investment transactions.

  The agreement is signed for a period of four years and will be effective as of December 1.

  Gibbs reminded that Soualiga Collège in Cul-de-Sac was severely damaged in Hurricane Irma and is no longer fit for its purpose. After exchanges with partners, the State, and the Rectorat, the decision was taken to build a new 900-pupil college in La Savane, close to Cite Scolaire Robert Weinum.

  “In the meantime, we housed the students and Soualiga’s educational team at the Cité Scolaire, with all the daily problems and difficulties that this cohabitation has created over the past two years,” said Gibbs. “We have succeeded in solving many of these problems, but there is no doubt that only the construction of a new school will alleviate this temporary situation and contribute to the well-being of students and teachers. We want this college to be modern, innovative and a pioneer in new technologies.

  “The partnership work undertaken with the National Education Department is very productive in this respect. I would add that our meeting with the Academic Directorate of Digital Education (DANE) of Guadeloupe, with a view to making this establishment a pilot site for the ‘all-digital’ approach, was also very fruitful.

  “This joint reflection on the construction of a new College began in March 2018 and we have engaged the services of Menighetti to assist us in this reflection.

  “From May 2018 to March 2019 we were supported by the Ministry of National Education, particularly in the preparation of the construction of an all-digital school. This plan has been incorporated into the architectural project. In June 2019, the Executive Council of the Collectivité voted a resolution setting out the framework agreement between the State and the Collectivité on the construction of a digital college with a capacity of 900 students.

  “And finally, in September we took a decision on various measures to open and close local public educational institutions. In particular, we have confirmed the definitive closure of the former Soualiga Collège as of January 1, 2020.

  “Based on everything going according to plan, the new college will be launched in September 2022.

  “I would like to thank the people who have been involved in this project, Climent-Pons from the Ministry of Education, Michel Sanz and his teams, and Jean-Sébastien Roca from Association Françaises de Devéloppement (AFD), and all those who work with us.

  “My Vice-President Annick Pétrus and the entire majority want to see this project come off the ground by the end of this mandate. It is a strong commitment to the general interest and younger generation.

  “‘Thank you’ to the State, the Ministry of Education, the Overseas Ministry and the Recteur for this support.”

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92733-financing-agreement-signed-for-new-college-in-la-savane

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