It’s the little music that has been echoing in the corridors of schools for ten days: what if we extended the February holidays, keeping schools closed for one or two more weeks? The idea was suggested by Jean-François Delfraissy, head of the Scientific Council, the body which guides the government’s choices in the fight against Covid-19 – joined on this point by several epidemiologists. Objective: to slow down contamination by avoiding mixing, especially with the arrival of variants, which are more contagious.
However, on the eve of leaving on vacation from zone A (academies of Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Poitiers), teachers and heads of establishment are tearing their hair out: aware that the The hypothesis is studied, but not knowing the outlines, they fear having to organize themselves in a very short time if it is necessary, for example, to relaunch “home school”. Because, if Jean-Michel Blanquer, the Minister of Education, repeats that he aspires to keep schools open, frightened at the idea of increasing school dropout as during the first confinement, “it is not he who decides, but the Elysee ”, we recall in his entourage.
The fact remains that an extension of the holidays would represent the solution “the most painless socially and economically, and one of the most effective in terms of health”, since the families have already organized themselves for fifteen days of leave, says Antoine Flahault, director of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva (Switzerland).
So, the rue de Grenelle is working on several tracks in case, increase in contamination requires, the decision not to reopen schools as soon as the return of holidays was taken by the Head of State. In particular that of relaunching distance learning courses during the period of “extension” of vacation. “It is not something that can be improvised or reflected in 48 hours”, alarms Sandrine, a school principal in central France, still traumatized by the unexpected and sudden closure of establishments in the spring.
A DIY battle plan
Theoretically, the holidays in zone B on which it depends will only begin in 15 days. But she anticipates. “Scalded cat fears cold water,” she smiles, remembering March. When the idea of extending the holidays and relaunching school at home reappeared ten days ago, she “cobbled together on a piece of paper” a battle plan.
“We gave each student a novel that they weren’t planning to study right away. That way, they will have it at home in the event of the schools closing, it is a tool on which teachers can work with them remotely, ”she explains. Ditto with school books, all redeployed in families, with the instruction to keep them at home, just to have everything available for distance.
Laurent, principal in a college in the Paris region, on leave in a week, organized an educational council for him to… “prepare for the worst”, he said. Instructions were passed to sharpen distance education tools while access codes were passed on to students. “We also thought about paper media because in my popular neighborhood college, 25% of kids have no connection or no computer at home, says the principal. We will try to distribute them before leaving on vacation … just in case. “
Avoid panic
This anticipation “blind” annoys the unions, who say, all the same, “understand the health priority”, swears Sophie Vénétitay, Snes-FSU delegate, the majority among secondary teachers. But, between the appeals of Delfraissy’s foot and the blackout of the ministry, the list of questions grows. “First of all, when will we know if this extension of the holidays is taking place or not? Should we educate the children of caregivers, like last year? And is an organizational framework planned? »Exclaims, wearily, the spokesperson for the teachers.
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Same story with Bruno Bobkiewicz, principal in Vincennes (Val-de-Marne) and national secretary of the union of school leaders SNPDEN. “If the organization of some colleagues there is, it is on their own initiative: no one has received an official instruction,” he summarizes, awaiting a “green light” from the National Education, “in one way or another, for that matter ”. Because the urgency is to reassure. “If some people get together to anticipate and prepare teams and students, this will create panic and some will say: that’s it, it’s done, the holidays are extended ! However, we do not know. “
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