French primary school keeps class open by enrolling sheep as pupils
A class at a primary school of a small village in the French Alps was due to close on an administrative order because it had lost five of its previous numbers of 266 pupils, placing it just under the reglementary threshold, but in an operation organised by the local mayor, parents and a local farmer, it appears to have been saved after the latter enrolled 15 of his ewes, birth certificates in hand, for the start of the next academic year.
AA farmer has enrolled 15 sheep at a French primary school to boost pupil numbers after authorities announced plans to close a class, reports BBC News.
The Jules Ferry school in Crêts-en-Belledonne, a village in the Alps northeast of Grenoble, had seen its student numbers fall from 266 to 261.
But in an act of defiance herder Michel Girerd decided to symbolically register some of his ewes.
Among the new pupils are Baa-bete, Dolly and Shaun.
Mr Girerd appeared with 50 of his ewes outside the school for a special ceremony attended by some 200 teachers, pupils and officials.
Mayor Jean-Louis Maret was presented with their birth certificates during the event. He questioned the "annoying threshold logic" which could prompt such a class closure.
