22nd SNCEEL Congress, January 24 and 25, 2024 - Interview with Vivien JOBY, former SNCEEL president

"Some delegates extended their stay to enjoy the destination".

Nearly 800 people from all over France and overseas attended the SNCEEL congress at the Palais du Grand Large in Saint-Malo. A record attendance and enthusiastic feedback for the first Malouin congress of the professional organization serving heads of primary and secondary free education establishments.

This was a very special congress: it was your last as president of the SNCEEL, and it took place at home, as you are head of the Lycée Malouin Institution-La Providence. How did you experience these days?

I'm pleased with the way they went. I'm not the only one, judging by the feedback from participants. The turnout was worthy of a good Parisian congress. The SNCEEL organizes an annual gathering, alternating between Paris and a regional city. We find that members travel more when the event is held in Paris, no doubt for reasons of accessibility. When we announced in 2022 that the 2024 congress would be held in Saint-Malo, we sensed that some members had reservations. Not because of the city, which is well known and appreciated, but because when you live far from Brittany, you often have to go via Paris to get there. It was feared that this would have an impact on attendance. This was not the case, quite the contrary. Even those who had to travel a long way told us that they quickly forgot this inconvenience when they reached the Palais du Grand Large.

Can you tell us why?

When they entered the rooms overlooking the sea and the rotundas, they found themselves as close to the water as possible. With the full-height windows, you don't know whether you're inside or outside. They were blown away.

Do you have any other feedback?

The delegates were very pleased with the high level of the speakers and the quality of the discussions. The theme chosen, "Intelligence", generated some fascinating debates. Even if the speakers disagreed on the definition of the word (we saw that a research director at the CNRS and a paleontologist can differ on this subject), the discussions were courteous and captivating. These contributions are important in helping us, as school heads, to answer the questions we ask ourselves about what intelligence is today, how to develop it in the young people who will be responsible for the world tomorrow, and what impact it might have on the way we conceive our profession.

School service providers were also present at the congress, alongside school heads?

They are our partners for catering, provident services, printing... The congress is an opportunity to meet them in a different setting. Some of them, such as school catering companies, take the opportunity to organize convivial events for their customers and prospects. The Saint-Malo region lends itself well to these gatherings, which have taken place on boats - the Chateaubriand, a privateer ship - or in magnificent and unusual venues such as the Demeure de Corsaire, Chez Colette, the rotondes du Grand Large...

Why were Saint-Malo and its convention center chosen for the 2024 event?

I was contacted by Solène Cerisier, Account Manager for Le Grand Large, during our convention in Marseille in 2022. I know her: the Palais du Grand Large hosts our BTS Tourism and Bac Pro Hospitality students, and our two organizations have a good relationship. She was able to find the right arguments. The city's reputation, both in France and abroad, the good quality/price ratio offered by the Palais du Grand Large, and the hotel offer, with establishments close to the convention center, within the city limits and on the seafront, convinced the organizing committee. The SNCEEl had already organized a summer session and a spring session in Saint-Malo, in 2017 and 2020, but never a congress.

Two days in Saint-Malo may have seemed short to some?

Some delegates even extended their stay! The Quebec delegation - we have a great partnership with the Cégeps, who host our bac pro students in Quebec - went to Mont Saint-Michel. Others stayed on to enjoy the spa and wellness facilities in the Saint-Michel region. 

Interview by Béatrice Ercksen