"If families are in great difficulty, we are in a position to provide masks to the students who need them the most," said Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, visiting a school in Oise , in Montataire, recalling that the back-to-school allowance for the most modest households had been increased by 100 euros this year. The minister estimated that "the habit of wearing the mask must be taken, including by the teenagers" and that it "is normal to have it as one has clothes" and that it was part "of the supplies of back to school ".
>> LIVE - Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation Friday August 21
"It's not a gigantic cost"
"If you have a mask and wash it regularly, it's not a gigantic cost," he says. Faced with the concerns of teachers in the face of the rebound of the coronavirus, Jean-Michel Blanquer announced Thursday on France 2 that the mask would now be mandatory in all circumstances for middle school and high school students in closed spaces from the start of the school year on September 1. In outdoor spaces, including playgrounds, this will be left to the discretion of the local authorities.
>> READ ALSO - Coronavirus: what Jean-Michel Blanquer announced for the start of the school year
The obligation to wear a mask may be waived on a case-by-case basis.
Middle and high school teachers will also be required to wear a mask even if the minister estimated Friday that this obligation could be lifted when there is a distance of two meters from students during lessons. "If it interferes with the course, this possibility exists. Wearing a mask can be a constraint for teachers, especially when they have to speak for hours," said Jean-Michel Blanquer. For nursery supervisors and nursery school teachers, wearing a mask is still recommended, but not compulsory.