Coronavirus: How Schools Adapted - 20 Minutes

  • Many schools reopened on Tuesday during the deconfinement. Like the Mario Roustan primary school in Castelnau-le-Lez, near Montpellier, closed since March 11, one week before confinement.
  • A third of the children returned there. Distancing, barrier gestures, limitation of students by class, hand cleaning, direction of traffic ... Strict measures have been taken to limit the risks of contamination.
  • Almost all of the teachers were present for this school year. "The most difficult will be to manage the students present and those at home who also ask us for help by email or telephone", worries one of them, nevertheless "very happy to find them".

"It changed the school!" Exclaims a CM1 pupil from Mario Roustan primary school. 135 pupils of the 447 pupils of this establishment of Castelnau-le-Lez, in the metropolis of Montpellier, made their return on Tuesday, on the second day of the deconfinement. Two months almost to the day after leaving it. On March 11, the prefect had urgently ordered the closure of schools in several municipalities bordering the city of Crès, after the discovery of an outbreak of contamination by coronavirus. A week later, all the schools in France closed their doors.

The internal functioning has indeed been completely revised. "The entry times were staggered from 8:50 am to 9:10 am," explains director Régis Jouve. Our goal is to minimize crossings and the risk of contamination. The classes were divided, with an average of 11 students in each of them. Only three teachers, out of sixteen, were unable to ensure the start of the school year.

Schoolyard divided into four, access to the establishment multiplied by four

The schoolyard is also divided into four and the access to the school multiplied by four. Separation of one meter between children in the courtyard, in the corridors, in the classes, imposed traffic direction, implementation of strict protocols ... “This organization is very difficult to implement because it is completely new. I fear it more for the children than for me, because I do not know how they will live all that, worries Myriam Bes, a teacher. But I'm happy to find them. "

In classes, hand washing is compulsory. However, the temperature is not taken at the entrance to the establishment. "But we have a thermometer available in each class, which we use when in doubt," says Régis Jouve. Mayor Frédéric Lafforgue (LR) explains that he has approached collective thermometers. “Considering the cost, we think twice. We will see what the health situation will be at the start of the September school year, ”he explains.

"Essential to resume for out of school children"

In France, many city officials were very reluctant to reopen schools. In particular Philippe Saurel (DVG), in Montpellier, worried about the health situation, who would have preferred to leave the establishments closed until September. Twelve establishments, too old for the implementation of barrier measures, have remained closed in the seventh city of France. In Nîmes, the children resume this Thursday. Elsewhere, in Gard or Hérault, some schools have remained closed.

In Castelnau-le-Lez, the mayor did not ask himself the question for long. “It was essential to resume. For out-of-school children, those whose parents have resumed their professional activity, for social ties. And to anticipate the start of the new school year in September. Because we do not know what the configuration will be at that time, underlines Frédéric Lafforgue. We can test our process over this period of May and June, with a ramp-up. It's haute couture: school by school, class by class, everyone adapts the implementation of respect for barrier and health gestures ”.

"Reassure parents, teachers, municipal staff and children"

We had to make choices. The morning and evening daycare is currently suspended, as is the canteen. Children must bring their cold meal for lunch. A hundred municipal agents from different departments are deployed in the city's establishments. Facilitators have been hired. "This reorganization has a financial cost for the municipality of course, but it is not the most important," continues the mayor. We have made every effort to ensure that this return to school takes place in the best possible conditions. To reassure parents, teachers, municipal staff and children. "

Other parents expressed their wish “to return only at the beginning of June, at the end of their period of partial unemployment. Some also feel the need to see how things will turn out in May, ”underlines Régis Jouve. No doubt it will then be necessary to review this functioning with the return of a hundred students. “We cannot integrate 21 children per class with the distance obligations. Some students will continue to take distance courses ”. A puzzle for teachers. “The most difficult will be to manage the students present and those at home who also ask us for help by email or phone. Monday evening, the day before the opening, I sent my last email to the parents at midnight… ”

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  • Languedoc-Roussillon
  • Covid 19
  • Montpellier
  • Video
  • Child
  • Deconfinement
  • school
  • Coronavirus
  • Society