Tarn school map. In Catholic education, we also close classes, but much less

It’s not just demographics that play a role when it comes to school maps. The population is increasing in Tarn, but its birth rate is decreasing. And this leads more numerous class closures than openings year after year in the Tarn. But in Catholic education, the situation is a little different.

The diocesan directorate of Catholic Education presented its school map on Monday March 30, 2026. As a reminder, at the start of the 2025 school year, there were 4,700 students (-111) in the first level (with closure of the Sainte-Marie Le Calvaire school in Castres), 3,697 students (+28) in the middle schools, 1…573 students (+63) in general and technological high schools and 1…224 students (+55) in vocational high schools. To which must be added 170 students (-8) in post-baccalaureate and 571 students in Catholic agricultural high schools (+18). Therefore, in total, 11…935 students (+45) enrolled in Catholic education in Tarn.

Two openings for four closures in schools

And in 2026…? Here’s what’s planned. Knowing that, unlike public education, where the school map project can still evolve slightly, here it is definitive. “For us, it’s done, all the meetings took place,” confirms News Tarn Gilles Artigues, diocesan director of Catholic Education in Tarn.

In the first level (32 schools), two classes will open at the Colombière school in Saïx and at the Sainte-Croix school in Lavaur. There is also the creation of a school complex with a college and a school in Massac-Séran and a school in Lavaur. The two management organizations merge. But there are also four class closures… at the Saint-Jean-Notre-Dame school in Mazamet, at the Saint-Joseph school in Réalmont, at the Croix-Haute school in Carmaux and at the Saint-François school in Roquecourbe.

“ For its schools, Catholic Education in Tarn provides 1.5 full-time equivalents…”, summarizes the diocesan management. Nothing to do with the 14 fewer positions projected in the first level of the public.

Few changes in the second degree

In the second level (11 middle schools and 10 high schools), there will be no no change in general and technological high schools and hourly adjustments saving 1.09 full-time equivalents in professional high schools. For the post baccalaureateit’s an opening and 0.53 full-time equivalents in addition. Let’s add three formation openings for a closure.

In the colleges there will be two openings of classes at Saint-Joseph de Gaillac college and at Notre-Dame de Castres college. For two closures (at Saint-Joseph de Gaillac college and… at Notre Dame de Castres college). Or a null operation.

2027 risks being more complicated

Time adjustments are also planned, but the most significant is that need groups in 6^e et 5^e are removed in all colleges (i.e. 53 hours per week for Tarn) except in two colleges. In the end, there are “only” 2.89 full-time equivalents provided. “Without that, the effort to be made would be greater,” underlines Gille Artigues, who warns that we must “expect additional difficulties in 2027. “We will have to fight so that it is not just accounting logic that is taken into account,” he adds. Especially since it will be a presidential year…

« Comme partout, on contribue à l’effort budgétaire »summarizes Gilles Artigues, “with practically three positions to be filled (Editor’s note: 2.8 FTE). A greater effort than last year in the Tarn. “Despite everything, we have arrived at a school map which does not respond solely to accounting logic,” the director is satisfied.

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