Nurseries, schools, colleges and high schools will reopen “gradually” from May 11, Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday, raising concern among teachers’ unions, who point to the “great vagueness” of the conditions for recovery.
In higher education, classes will not resume before the start of the new school year in September, said the Head of State in his televised address, during which he announced the extension of confinement until May 11 as part of the fight against the Covid-19.
“Too many children, especially in working-class neighborhoods, in our countryside, are deprived of school without having access to digital technology and cannot be helped in the same way by parents, this is why our children must be able to find their way classes, “said the head of state. He argued that “the government will have to set up special rules, organize time and space differently, protect our teachers and our children well with the necessary equipment”.
For higher education students, “classes will not resume physically until the summer,” added the head of state. The government will specify later “the good organization which will be necessary in particular for the examinations and the contests”.
“Tackling social inequalities”
Since March 16, due to the coronavirus epidemic, some 12.5 million students and 2.6 million students are taking distance courses due to the closure of schools, colleges, high schools and universities.
Consequently, the government has decided to evaluate this year the bac and the patent in continuous examination.
According to the entourage of Emmanuel Macron, this announcement of a progressive reopening was dictated by “the desire to fight against social inequalities and to help the resumption of work”. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer has repeatedly mentioned the risk of seeing it widen inequality due to school closings.
“We know it is a place of high contamination”
Among teachers’ unions, the declarations of the president of the republic raised concern Monday evening.
“It is anything but serious to reopen schools on May 11 because we are told that all public places are closed, cinemas, theaters, but not schools, when we know that it is a place of high transmission, high contamination, there is a lack of precaution, it seems to be in total contradiction with the rest “, reacted Francette Popineau, general secretary of Snuipp-FSU, first union of the primary.
“There is going to be a strong misunderstanding on the part of the teachers, it seems to be sacrificed on the altar of the economy,” she said. “Resume in a month, as if nothing had happened, it is not possible, because there will not be more immunized people, the children will be together at school, without possible barrier gestures, and then Going to families, to grandparents, that does not seem at all reasonable, “added Francette Popineau.
Blurring and concerns
Same observation for Benoît Teste, secretary general of the FSU, the first union federation of education: “the return to school plan still seems vague,” he said on RTL. “Emmanuel Macron says that all the sanitary conditions will be met but we have a great number of worries, we know that the virus is circulating among the students”.
“Resume normally will not be possible, so what will be proposed in terms of development? Will we take half-classes? We will not be able to resume classes at 35”, a warned the secretary general of the FSU.
At the SE-Unsa union, “what emerges from this announcement is” also “concern”, according to its secretary general, Stéphane Crochet.
“We are told about a gradual return, what does that mean clearly? And it is the biggest blur on the sanitary conditions in which the teachers return”, he said, adding that they “cannot not resume as if nothing had happened on May 11 “.
“Everyone has heard the concerns of a rebound of the virus in the coming weeks, teachers do not want to be the victims of this rebound by being on the front line with children all day long who can be carriers”, insisted Stéphane Crochet , awaiting clarification from the Ministry.
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