Students from Monaco’s Lycée Albert 1er will return to full in-person teaching by January 26th, the government announced on Tuesday, after structural concerns at their l’Annonciade campus forced an emergency evacuation before Christmas.
The 840 students began remote learning on Monday January 5th, with officials determined to minimise disruption and restore classroom teaching as soon as possible.
“We want this period of distance learning to be as short as possible,” said Lionel Beffre, Government Councillor-Minister for the Interior. “We know that distance learning can work, but over a long period, it can have negative effects, particularly for students who are less attentive when teaching is done through a computer.”
Relocation plan
The government faces the challenge of relocating approximately 950 people (840 students, 102 teachers and 50 non-teaching stuff) across multiple temporary sites within three weeks.
Most facilities will be concentrated around Promenade Honoré II, using available classrooms at Collège Charles III and Lycée Rainier III, supplemented by two purpose-built modular buildings erected immediately beside Collège Charles III. Each temporary building will contain 11 classrooms with heating and air conditioning.
Additionally, the International School of Monaco’s former premises at Quai Antoine 1er will house higher education students from January 12th, freeing up space at Lycée Rainier III. The ISM building will also accommodate support services including careers counselling, psychology support and library facilities.
“To give you an idea of the complexity, there are 499 different class groups,” explained Jean-Philippe Vinci, Director of National Education, Youth and Sports.
Gradual return
From January 12th, exam classes and students requiring laboratory facilities will begin returning to in-person teaching.
Meanwhile, students struggling with remote learning can access a dedicated space at Collège Charles III from this week, particularly aimed at younger students who may have poor internet connections or feel isolated.
“We have the experience of Covid,” Vinci noted. “We know that some students who live further away have connection problems, especially with video.”
School meals will be available at both Collège Charles III and Lycée Rainier III for students attending in-person classes.
Exams to proceed normally
The baccalauréat examinations will take place at the renovated Lycée Albert 1er building at l’Annonciade, expected to be ready by late April or May following accelerated renovation works.
“This is already enough to reassure people that they will find premises that they know and a renovated space, obviously suitable for hosting the baccalauréat exams,” Beffre said.
Continuous assessment tests will resume from next week in proper examination conditions at the temporary sites.
Structural work continues
Reinforcement work on the wall at l’Annonciade continues, with three additional anchor bolts now fully active to stabilise the structure. Government data shows pressure levels remain well below alert thresholds.
Sport facilities and community spaces in the neighbouring former Lycée Technique building reopened on Wednesday January 7th, along with public access to the Annonciade car park.
For now, students and parents are advised to check Pronote – the school’s digital platform – daily for updates.
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Main photo credit: Monaco Life
