Back to school: no change in health protocol at this stage

Europe 1 with AFP 6:47 p.m., December 30, 2021

The health protocol in schools, colleges and high schools during the start of the school year on Monday will be identical to that in force before the school holidays, AFP learned Thursday from union sources.

"There is nothing new, nothing announced", summarized Guislaine David, spokesperson and general secretary of SNUipp-FSU, after a meeting between the teachers' unions and the ministry.

The question of the two pending tests

At this stage, the protocol is not modified: level 3 (out of 4) is maintained in elementary schools, like level 2 in middle and high schools, and all lessons will therefore take place face-to-face.

Students aged six and over will therefore have to keep the mask on, and mixing will remain limited between classes and levels.

Asked by AFP, the Ministry of Education did not respond immediately.

However, the track envisaged Tuesday by the Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, according to which the pupils could have to present at least two negative tests several days apart, against one currently, "remains open and depends on the 'opinion of the High Authority for Health "expected for the weekend, said Ms. David.

"No consideration of Omicron"

The primary unions demanded a return to the policy of closing a class from the first positive case, a measure which has not been in force since November 29.

Now, it takes three confirmed cases to close a class for seven days.

"There is no consideration of the Omicron variant, nothing allows us to return peacefully on Monday," Guislaine David told AFP.

"Teachers will no longer be able to drink their coffee standing up, but other security decisions remain pending arbitration," lamented Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary of Snes-FSU.

“This refrain of the open school does not allow us to sweep away the realities of everyday life,” added the secretary general of Se-Unsa, Stéphane Crochet, to AFP.

3,150 closed classes 

On the eve of the holidays, 3,150 classes were closed in France due to the epidemic, a figure "in stagnation", then specified Jean-Michel Blanquer.

This figure was partly explained by a new protocol decided at the end of November.

The lack of screening tests "since September" in middle and high schools also poses a problem for teachers' unions, to whom "no specific answer has been given", apart from a "self-test supply" which could have place.

"The number of staff requires a greater effort," said Sophie Vénétitay.

Training and other meetings of teachers will also be greatly reduced in order to be able to focus on teaching activities, and pandemic management.