Illustration of a group of children returning to school.Montrouge, 02/05/2020. - Woytek Konarzewski / SIPA

  • Students with academic difficulties are among the public deemed priority by the Ministry of National Education to return to class during the deconfinement.
  • But the prospect of seeing these “fragile” students again this week is uncertain, as some families do not want to send their children back to school for fear of the virus.

These are the people who need school most, but will they be back in class this week? Students with academic difficulties are among the public deemed priority by the Ministry of National Education to return to class. “There is nothing more serious in terms of dropping out than dropping a child from primary school. Because things are often unattainable afterwards, ”insisted Jean-Michel Blanquer on Wednesday at the National Assembly.

School principals were therefore responsible for identifying the students most at risk of dropping out of school. Especially since during confinement, between 4 and 10% of the students would have left the radars, according to the Ministry of National Education. Taking a distance with their education which would be explained above all by the digital divide, recalled this Monday Francette Popineau, co-secretary general of SNUipp: “In some families, there is no computer. Or both parents were telecommuting and using all the screens in the house. ” But this is not the only reason for this bracketing of the school, according to Julie, teacher of schools in the northern districts of Marseille in REP +: "Many children have not worked at all since the beginning containment. Some parents are unable to make them work (language barrier, a computer for four children, etc.). Others seem to be unaware of the importance of distance education and simply do not put their child to work, ”she notes.

"The most disadvantaged students will stay at home"

The fact that many parents are monopolized by their telework has not allowed them to support their children in their homework: “The latter were given little stimulation. And even if many teachers tried to maintain a link by calling families, it was not enough to restart a school activity. And the teachers have lost more students as they are confined, ”says Francette Popineau.

As for the prospect of seeing these “fragile” students again this week, it remains uncertain. Because given the health risks, the return to school is subject to the voluntary work of families. However, according to Alice, a school teacher, "the most disadvantaged students will stay at home because the parents do not want to hand them over," she said to 20 Minutes . Same observation from Vanessa: “In my school, 80% of parents do not want their child to go back to school. The 20% who will come will rather be children who have no particular academic difficulties, but whose two parents are working. ” A reluctance due to fear of the virus and which would be more marked among disadvantaged families, as evidenced by an Ifop poll of April 30. According to the latter, 76% of parents from popular socio-professional categories were opposed to the return of their children to school, compared with 57% for the higher categories.

Will the first returns to school be an incentive?

No question, however, of accepting this renunciation for Jean-Michel Blanquer: “School is not something secondary. We must be careful not to do damage to an entire generation by leaving it six months without school, "he hammered on Europe 1 on Monday, betting on a ripple effect.

Teachers are responsible for picking up these children, while trying to reassure parents about health precautions. “But it's hard to convince someone when you're not convinced yourself. If the school after confinement appears to be restrictive, it will be difficult to attract students who already do not like the class, ”warns Francette Popineau.

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