There was a call to arms last week as the government is threatening to close one of the teaching posts in the valley. There are several one class schools in the valley, one per village. In the mornings and afternoons the little minibuses go back and forth taking the children from the different villages to the village in which for this year they will go to school. This arrangement has helped rejuvenate the villages, attracting young families who not only want to bring their children up in the country but also enable them to go to small schools, where parental participation part of the course. Old houses have been renovated and nearly every village has a crop of new houses.
The response was strong with over 300 people turning up on a sunny Saturday morning. There was a full compliment of mayors complete with sashes and the sun-powered public address system was kindly lent by the local band. Optimism was high and arrangements were made to demonstrate in Foix next week, with a curt reminder to not forget your picnic!