Student union demands supply of masks at university

Illustration of the University of Aix Marseille.

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• The University of Aix-Marseille offers to follow videoconference courses to its students.

• Since wearing a mask is compulsory, the university will provide it to the most disadvantaged students.

• A student union wants masks to be supplied to all students.

The largest university in France, in the starting blocks for the start of the school year.

The start of the Aix-Marseille University school year is due to take place this Monday, and it has been preparing for several weeks already due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We were all hoping that the return to school would be a better auspices.

However, it is clear that this is not the case.

We are therefore faced with a challenge: to preserve the health of everyone by not sacrificing this new generation pedagogically ”, explains the president of the university, Eric Berton, in a newsletter for the attention of the entire university community.

Among the measures put in place, “the installation of the Zoom television broadcasting platform, and video capture systems” will reduce the number of students in the lecture halls by offering them the possibility of following these courses remotely.

"Computers are being bought for the most precarious students", in order to reduce the digital divide.

Thus, depending on the components and training, these can be provided entirely remotely, face-to-face or in hybrid mode.

The university also explains working on the deployment of teleworking.

Student precariousness

Wearing a mask is compulsory for both students and staff, inside buildings but also in outdoor enclosures.

“We are not going to provide masks to all students, but to students in precarious situations of course.

A minimum budget of 200,000 euros will be released, ”Eric Berton announced on France Info last week.

A decision regretted by Clément, a student at Sciences Po Aix, and member of Solidaires Etudiant.es "Wearing a compulsory mask is an additional financial burden for students, which joins the problem of student precariousness which is obviously still not understood. », He believes.

"We are asking for free masks for students, and this is not a request from leftist students, former President François Hollande also spoke in favor of this free", adds Clément.

The issue of calls for tenders

While learning about masks, he found a company manufacturing hemp and organic compostable masks.

"The university could provide two masks at a price of 0.65 euro cents to 80,000 students for a total cost of 104,000 euros, less than the estimated budget to provide the masks to the most precarious students," says Clément.

As for the university, it is explained that they have not yet "precisely quantified the number of destitute students to whom masks should be provided, this figure is being refined".

As for the supply of these hemp masks, "we have the obligation to go through calls for tenders with a competition between suppliers", explains the university.

"It is up to them and their organization, but even if it means putting money as much as it benefits the greatest number, and that it is biodegradable rather than disposable masks", considers Clément.

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