This Wednesday, a little before noon, the counter showed, according to the academic inspection, 12 teachers and 3 students positive for Covid-19 at the Louis-Pasteur college in Gennevilliers. The establishment, which has more than 50 teachers and some 660 college students, has not been closed and massive screening is scheduled for next Monday.
In a few days, the surprise turned into anxiety among the students. “Honestly, we are not reassured, recognizes Fatou, 14 years old. We learned this weekend on the college application that teachers were sick. Every day, we look before going to the chest and every day we see new ones marked absent… ”
“It suits us a bit because classes are skipping,” jokes one of her comrades. But deep down, we’re freaking out. Until then, we followed what was happening but just like that. This time, we really feel concerned. Much more than before anyway. “” We talk about it a lot among us, especially on the Snap ‘(Editor’s note: the Snapchat social network) of the class, but otherwise we have nothing as info. We know that a test is scheduled for Monday, but that’s it, ”adds Assia.
“We went to class without knowing why so many colleagues were absent”
For some teachers, we are no longer at the stage of worry but that of anger. “They will wait how many cases to close the college?” Scolds a teacher, who prefers to remain anonymous. Screening is only scheduled for next Monday: ten days after the first case. If that’s not a cluster, we’ll have to be explained! This is insane! “
“There was a case on January 4 and no one was aware of it,” adds one of her colleagues. We work, we eat, we discuss in the teachers’ room. It was not until yesterday (Editor’s note: Tuesday) so that the door handles and tables are finally disinfected. The problem is the lack of transparency. We went to class without knowing why so many colleagues were absent. It’s a shame ! The Covid-19 is spreading and we remain open… ”
On the side of the Academic Inspection, we want to be reassuring. “We scrupulously observe the recommendations of the Regional Health Agency (ARS), starting with respect for barrier gestures,” said one to the direction of the departmental services of National Education. And the ARS did not consider it necessary to close the establishment. “During its last score, last week, the rectorate indicated that if 11 classes were closed in the department, no school, college or high school was however closed doors.
“If we wear a surgical mask or an FFP2, it is at our expense”
The antigenic testing campaign which is due to start on Monday is also supposed to raise doubts. But some fear that it is only fragmentary. “The students must bring back a signed parental authorization by tomorrow Thursday in order to be subjected to the test, specifies a teacher. We are therefore concerned that, in fact, many students will not get tested and that the virus will continue to spread. “
“In the meantime, we have to come to work despite the cluster,” continues the prof. We have not received any masks that perform better than the cloth masks. If we wear a surgical mask or FFP2, it is at our expense. “
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“The teachers are necessarily concerned and do not understand why it takes so long to set up a screening, it does not give the feeling that the situation has been taken head-on,” regrets Julien Beaussier, departmental co-secretary of the SNES.
No panic among parents of students
In addition to the worrying cases of the Covid-19 virus mutated in establishments in Colombes and Bagneux recently, the trade unionist deplores “sporadic” cases in various establishments in the department. But he does not wish to name them. “Say like Mr. Blanquer (Editor’s note: Minister of Education) that schools would be islands protected from the virus, that young people are less contagious, is false: the reality is that in high school as in college, there are cases and the virus can circulate, ”insists Julien Beaussier.
If the colleges are not run by the cities, there is no question of the municipality being left out. “We want to be associated to face this small cluster,” says one in town hall. What to do today if a large majority of teachers are in quarantine due to Covid-19? How to ensure the education and learning of students under current conditions? “
However, the city does not want to panic. A position shared by the main organization of parents of pupils. “We have been kept informed of the situation by the college and we have more of an impression of transparency,” said Naziha Chougrani, local FCPE representative. The case seems to us to be well managed. And then, in the spring, we saw the devastation in terms of dropping out of school closings. At this time, we have no reason not to trust the ARS. “
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