National Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer wants all children to be able to find their school "at least once" by the end of May, he said in an interview with the Journal du dimanche .
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"Nearly 86%" of the 50,500 schools in France will open from Monday, according to the minister. They will welcome "more than 1.5 million children", out of a total of 6.7 million kindergarten and elementary school children. "A large part of the remaining 14% of schools should reopen" before the end of May, says Jean-Michel Blanquer.
"Welcome the students, listen to them, see how they are doing"
The minister "hopes that all the children will have been able to find their school physically at least once by the end of the month". It recognizes that this objective will require adaptations, in particular when "premises are cramped". He therefore proposed to the municipalities to set up sports, health, culture and civic activities "outside of school".
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The first priority of the school by the summer is "psychological": "welcoming the students, listening to them, seeing how they are doing". At the educational level, after two months of confinement, "the goal is not to complete the programs at all costs; we must reason astride next year," said the minister.
"Almost 50%" of teachers will return to work on Monday "
"Nearly 50%" of teachers will return to work in schools on Monday, which allows, according to Jean-Michel Blanquer, "to welcome students who return". Teachers who are not in class "will take care of distance education for students at home". "Under different methods, everyone will therefore be at work," said the minister.
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In addition, if a child were contaminated at school, the legal responsibility of the mayor would not be engaged, affirms Jean-Michel Blanquer: "the responsibility for deciding the opening of a school lies with the State".