The agricultural high school of Fontaines Sud Bourgogne, like other schools, participates in the defense and citizenship class program.
The “defense and citizenship class” program is an educational project within the Fontaines school. This academic year 2025/2026 includes 18 second-year students.
The high school has a group of around twenty students forming the defense class supervised by Sébastien Schmitt, with a unique feature that all students in this 2026 class are second-year students.
The Chalon sur Saône National Gendarmerie is the sponsor of the promotion, guiding cohesion activities. Fully integrated into the civic path, the defense class has a triple objective: to contribute to national cohesion, promote civic values, and enhance the attractiveness of military professions.
On Wednesday, April 29, students from the Fontaines high school’s defense class visited the Town Hall of Chalon sur Saône to discover this institution governing the city.
They were received by Isabel Paulo, deputy in charge of youth and neighborhood life, accompanied by Noémie, Ambre, and Jeanne, three young elected officials from the youth municipal council.
The defense class students explored this important place where decisions are made, including the wedding and reception hall, the council chamber, and work rooms.
Isabel Paulo explained the functioning of the town hall to them and delivered a message: “You are in a defense and citizen class, you are committed to being a citizen in the service of others. You will discover professions: firefighters, gendarmes, soldiers… The town hall is where everything is managed, do not hesitate to ask questions, be curious…, the world depends on you, your commitment is important.”
She then gave the floor to the three young CMJ members to introduce themselves and explain what a CMJ is, its purpose, how it operates, and its links to citizenship through trips and visits to important sites.
Gathered in the council chamber, the youth followed explanations about the municipal council, the layout in the hemicycle, the constitution of the municipal council, Mayor Gilles Platret, the majority and minority councilors, among other topics.
Using a slideshow, Stéphanie Pernin, youth service sector support provider, and Karine Michaudet, local democracy agent, complemented the presentation of the town hall’s mechanisms, starting with how one becomes mayor, the commune’s actors, various town hall bodies, services to the population, etc.
The high school students then visited some rooms of the town hall where they discovered the architectural splendors of the place.
Their afternoon continued with a visit to the sub-prefecture where they were welcomed by Mr. Olivier Tainturier, the sub-prefect.
Mr. Tainturier gave the students a lesson in civic instruction, explaining the administrative pyramid from the prefecture and the 5 districts of Saône et Loire, including that of Chalon sur Saône. He defined the missions of each administrative level and elaborated on his role as sub-prefect, facilitating industrial implantation, liaising with military and police entities, and engaging with agricultural issues.
He shared insights into his missions and career mutations, training, and his previous profession as a magistrate before becoming a sub-prefect. Despite the demands of his job, he appreciates its diversity and the required time commitment.
The students asked him questions which he answered before inquiring about their future career aspirations.
The defense class students gained valuable new knowledge from their visit.
C. Cléaux [email protected]
