General Meeting to be held on Tuesday.
Cul de Sac: --- Parents and several residents of Cul de Sac gave the directress, workers and the other parents a surprise Friday morning when they placed huge locks at the Cul de Sac Elementary school, blocking access to the school. As the parents arrived at the school with their children they were all left outside wondering what was happening since they claim not to know that there are grievances among the school population. Shortly after the directress of the school arrived she summoned the Inspector of the school to the location. The school's inspector Mme. Daniella Dolium and Territorial Councilor Louis Fleming who also went to the location wanted to break the lock in order to get the children inside the school but the parents and those that felt they are discriminated against formed a human chain at the gate to prevent anyone from breaking the lock to allow the students and workers to enter. Collectivity worker and director of Human Resources of the COM Roper Vernon also asked the parents to allow his workers to go inside the school because he never got any complaint about his workers but the parents made it clear that no one would enter the school unless the problems they and their children are facing are resolved.
When those in authority realized that the parents and residents of Cul de Sac Primary School meant business and they will not allow anyone inside the school the Inspector decided to call off school for Friday and have promised the parents that she will organize a meeting for Tuesday at the school. Mme. Dolium assured the parents that she has cancelled all her meetings for Tuesday in order to accommodate the parents and workers of the school on Tuesday. However, Mme. Dolium said she could not say what time that meeting will take place because she also has to make all arrangements with the President of the Collectivity who has to also attend that meeting. Mme. Dolium said the Collectivity of St. Martin is responsible for the inscription of the students but it is her job to accommodate them and to ensure they are safe. . Several gendames, and police territorial officers showed up the school to see if they would manage to dissuade the parents from the actions they took Friday morning.
Luc Wellington said if the (authorities) intended to move and if forces were used they will expose the things they know, he further warned those in authority that if they know what is good for the island then they should work on solving all the problems at the school if not there will be a war
"You guys that are here have the power but the people of this island has the cards to expose what is taking place in Cul de Sac. I am warning you all if anyone touch this gate a war is going to start. I am here with the parents because I want a solution and peace for St. Martin." A mother who was relatively upset said that she lives two minutes away from the school and her child could not get a space at Cul de Sac Elementary School. She said she was told that her child is inscribed at Cul de Sac but when she took her child at the school she was told that his name was taken out and given to another child and her child has to attend Grand Case Elementary school. The mother said she is there to demand justice and equality because it is not fair for her to displace herself four times a day to pick up her child when she lives next to a school. Another parent said that a particular teacher abused her sick son when she was teaching in French Quarter and that teacher made it clear to everyone that she does not like black people because a blackman gave her sick child that eventually died. While on the scene SMN News heard two parents from France saying that these "black parents don't know who they were and who are their husbands. Upon hearing that statement on Friday morning was shocking because the parents that spoke to SMN News Wednesday evening said this is what is said to them almost everyday.
The parents and others who form part of the collective said that children from Oyster Pond, Grand Case and other far out areas got their children in at the Cul de Sac School but residents of Cul de Sac school have no space.
They further explained that the situation at the school exploded when the Gendarmes stated an investigation by calling in 7 and 8 year old children to be questioned because they received complaints of abuse. Luc Wellington said that the gendarmes want to interview these young children that are already traumatized without their parents and this he said is against the law. He said two parents insisted to go in with their children to hear what the interview was all about and it is only then they found out that some parents filed a complaint against the directress claiming that she is abusing the children in her class. Wellington said those two parents asked the gendarmes who filed the complaints and most of all since they (gendarmes) interviewed several children they want to know if they found any proof of abuse and they were told so far they got none but the investigation is not yet completed. The parents said they decided to take action on Friday when they were informed that three gendarmes went to a parent home twice on Thursday demanding that the parent take her child to the gendarmerie to be interviewed. The parents and supporters who showed up and took action on Friday said that what the gendarmes are doing is not legal. They said that the gendarmes does not have the right to force anyone to go to the gendarmerie without a "certicate of mise en cause" that is issued by a judge. SMN News asked a gendarme that was on the scene Friday morning if they were going to the homes of the children and making demands and one of the gendarmes admitted that they visited a few homes because they want to work and finalize the investitgation that are ongoing. SMN News also saw several young children that began crying when they saw the gendarmes on the scene many of them were holding on to their parents asking if the gendarmes were there to take them away.
Michel Hunt gave a brief history as to how the people of Cul de Sac got an elementary school he said a resident of Cul de Sac provided three rooms for a school and after that former Mayor Albert Fleming provided an old building to house a school for delinquents but the residents of Cul de Sac especially former councilor Emile Larmonie who was also a teacher made it clear that they do not want a delinquent school in Cul de Sac but an elementary school for the children of Cul de Sac. Hunt said that Mr. Emile Larmonie even went out of his way and secured funds to construct the elementary school they now have in Cul de Sac that is seemingly reserved for children coming from metropolitan France. Another parent said its rumored in the school that as of September 2015 the Cul de Sac Primary School will become a private school for "white" students. Juilen Gumbs an activist was also on the scene said that he is there to show his support to the locals because what is happening at Cul de Sac takes place at the schools on the island. Gumbs said if the metropolitans come to St. Martin they have to learn to accept the St. Martin people and their culture if not they should send their children to private schools on the French side if they do not want to mingle with locals or black children.
Click here to view photos of the lockdown at Cul de Sac Elementary School
