France: school deconfinement plan raises questions and concerns

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The return of children to school is an imperative for education and social justice, "said Edouard Philippe, during his speech at the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon, to present the country's progressive deconfinement plan, to from May 11. The first students will resume school on May 11 ... this is a return by level and depending on the health situation.

Publicity

The government is proposing a very gradual reopening of kindergartens and elementary school from May 11, on the whole territory and on a voluntary basis. But it is only from May 18, in the departments where the circulation of the virus is very weak that the reopening of the colleges will be considered, starting with the classes of 6th and 5th. A classification of the departments in green or red will be quickly established.

It will be decided the fate of high schools in late May, starting with professional high schools whose students will find classrooms and workshops in early June. Remember that the bac, which marks the end of secondary studies, will be evaluated on the basis of continuous assessment only.

All this subject to conditions: no more than 15 students per class, whatever the level. Absentees benefiting from distance education. The teachers, the staff of the establishments and the secondary school pupils will receive masks which they will have to wear but for the practical methods of organization, the Prime Minister has returned to the field. He says he trusts mayors and local communities.

Union reservations

The national education unions demanded a clear health framework. They are critical and ask for clarification. Thus, for small classes, where it is difficult to ask children to respect the barrier gestures and where the wearing of the mask will not be compulsory. “We no longer understand anything: we have a discourse of caution on everything, except on school. Why do we have to hurry to reopen the kindergarten and primary classes, when these are places of great promiscuity? ", Questions Francette Popineau, secretary general of SNUipp-FSU, the first primary union.

Concern also on the part of parents of students, starting with the FCPE, the first federation of parents of students, on the practical arrangements for this return to school.

"The FCPE wants a safe return to school. There are still too many uncertainties, like the fluctuation that reigns at the highest level in the state" @carladugault reacts to the intervention of # EdouardPhilippe on #Deconfinement

Jean-Michel Blanquer Minister of National Education should provide them with details from May 5.

Municipalities get organized, or not

At the local level, some mayors also expressed reservations about the reopening of schools, some even announcing that they refused to reopen primary schools. The mayor of Lattes, in the south of France, Cyril Meunier, has already started to prepare his primary school: disinfection, planning ... Because the decision to send the children back to school was expected, he explains. , because it's about getting people back to work partially. But he will not put the staff of the commune in contact with children and teachers.

Cyril Meunier, mayor of Latte; "The decontamination of all schools will mobilize between 80 and 100 people every night, these are salaries that will weigh on the municipal budget"

Nicolas Rocca

Philippe Saurel, mayor of Montpellier, joined by Nicolas Rocca.

Nicolas Rocca

The government is asking us to test deconfinement in its place, according to Philippe Saurel, mayor Divers Gauche of Montpellier, in the south of France. "We will try to be as relevant as possible and all this for nine working class days per student until the long holidays." 

► Read also : What to remember from the deconfinement plan presented by Edouard Philippe

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