For children, the saliva test performed at school is free.
But for the teachers, it is different: if they wish to benefit from it, they must pay the remainder, ie one euro.
A financial participation "misplaced and contemptuous", according to the teachers' unions.
If they are free for children, teachers must pay the rest of their saliva tests deployed at school to fight the Covid-19 epidemic, i.e. one euro.
Teachers will have to pay one euro, or the remainder to be charged by the Health Insurance and this amount will be deducted from their next reimbursement of medical expenses, we told the Ministry of National Education, confirming information from franceinfo.
In the field, teachers can benefit from these saliva tests when teams from laboratories visit schools.
This type of test is in fact primarily intended for primary school students and teachers.
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For the main teachers' unions contacted by AFP, this participation is "inappropriate and contemptuous", when the National Education makes these tests a pillar of its strategy.
On the side of the ministry, it is explained that "unlike the nasopharyngeal antigen tests deployed in schools, the saliva tests are carried out under the rules applicable to the health insurance scheme which reimburses the medical biology laboratories carrying out the analyzes" and "therefore these saliva tests are more expensive".
La rue de Grenelle adds that "the screening by saliva test is voluntary and the personnel of the National Education have the possibility of requesting a nasopharyngeal antigen test, entirely carried out and supported by the National Education".
"This saliva test campaign was not seriously anticipated"
"We raised this question of the remainder of the charge with the ministry three weeks ago and at that time we were told that things were going to be settled. And then nothing, we have no feedback," regrets Guislaine David , general secretary of Snuipp-FSU, the first primary school union.
According to her, "the ministries of education and health are simply passing the buck. This shows again how this campaign of saliva tests was not seriously anticipated."
The Ministry of National Education assures us that it is looking for a solution.
But he also explains that he doesn't really have a hand.
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At this stage, the ministry does not give precise figures on the number of saliva tests carried out in schools.
Jean-Michel Blanquer had mentioned 150,000 tests per week at the end of last week, recalling that the objective is to reach 300,000 tests this week.