“It is important that we are looked at differently”

From the entrance to the Boris-Vian college in Coudekerque-Branche (Nord), you cannot see the building reserved for Segpa students (general and professional education section). You have to cross the whole establishment to reach the one where the four classes are located, from 6^e at the 3^e. They are on the sidelines, which saddens Danièle Dekervel, the principal. “It’s a college of years 1970, at the time it was done like that. Fortunately, for new establishments, we no longer separate Segpa classes from others. »

Living in their corner, on the fringes, often stigmatized, these teenagers with great academic difficulties have become accustomed to it. So when, in April 2022, does the film hit the screens? The Segpas, by the brothers Hakim and Ali Bougheraba, co-produced by Cyril Hanouna, they expected the worst.

Among the students of 4^esome went to see him, like Christopher, who only “not recognized at all. We are not gogols. There was even one who came to class in pajamas! » Noah saw it “dumb people. And it’s not true: we’re not like that.”. “You don’t come to class to stick pencils in your nose!” », adds Kelly.

Rachid Zerrouki, Segpa teacher and author of the book The Incasables (Robert Laffont, 2020), very quickly perceived the risk of stigmatization. On Twitter, he was indignant: “My students will therefore be caricatured in the cinema, as has already been done on YouTube [à travers la Web-série vue des millions de fois et dont le film est adapté]. They will be made to pass for idiots, thus martyring an already dilapidated self-confidence. »

A way to reconcile with learning

Segpa students at Boris-Vian college are lucky to have specialized teachers who take them to the top, with patience, rigor and benevolence. The latter offered the kids a great challenge: “changing the way we look at Segpa”, summarize Arnaud Lamarre and Alice Dubois, two of their teachers. We had to find a project that would motivate them. It will be Les Vélos de Boris: a four-day journey on the northern coast in May.

“When a young person comes back to work on the engraver after his lessons or during recess, we say to ourselves that we have already won. They show incredible perseverance on this project. » Arnaud Lamarre, teacher

A mini-company is created, as business school students do. “We organize everything ourselves”, says Enzo, smiling ear to ear. We had to distribute the positions: director, assistant, accountant, communicator, researcher of sponsors, equipment manager… “Everyone wanted to do something. We are business leaders.” adds Noah proudly. Nolan, who admits to being “not good at math” inherited accounting. “You have to count what you earn with the sales of objects you make, know how much you have to pay back when you buy equipment. » This is how he learned to master Excel.

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