On January 10, the Prime Minister eased the health measures introduced in schools to “simplify the lives of families, teachers and school principals”. Despite the changes, parents, teachers and unions are not taking off and intend to express their dissatisfaction.
- Since January 11, students, considered as contact cases, can use three self-tests. Only one certificate is now necessary for the return to class and children can finish the day at school, even if a positive case of Covid-19 has been detected.
- The simplification of the health protocol at school was not enough to ease the tensions. The changes, complicated to apply, continue to make life difficult for parents and teachers.
- A national mobilization against the health protocol, implemented at school, will take place on January 13.
Since January 3, students must take three tests in four days to stay in school, if a child has tested positive in their class. Problem: the health protocol communicated by the Minister of National Education, on the eve of the start of the new school year, has proven to be complicated to apply for teachers and parents, who must constantly go with their children to pharmacies, stormed for several days. Asked by CNewson January 7, Jean-Michel Blanquer acknowledged that the health measures put in place in schools were “extremely difficult” to live for families.
Relaxation of the health protocol at school
Three days later, Jean Castex took the floor to slightly relax the strongly criticized school health protocol. On the set of France 2the Prime Minister had announced that, from January 11, if a positive case of Covid-19 is detected in a class, “we will not immediately ask parents to pick up theirs on the grounds that it is a contact case. We will wait until the end of the day or the school trip”.
Another change: if a student tests positive for the coronavirus, his classmates, considered as contact cases, can now do three self-tests. Clearly, they are no longer obliged to carry out a PCR or antigen test. Previously, parents had to have three certificates (one after each test) for their child to be able to return to class. Since January 11, only one parental certificate, indicating that the self-test is negative, is requested.
“The Prime Minister’s Adaptation” intended to “to simplify the lives of families, but also to simplify the lives of teachers and school principals”, said, to BFM TVJean-Michel Blanquer.
A health protocol criticized by parents, teachers and unions
The changes announced by the Prime Minister did not convince the teachers, the teachers’ unions and did not succeed in satisfying the parents of pupils. “If someone understands, they have to explain it to me, because neither the teachers nor the parents follow. It changes every day”, lamented a mother, questioned by FranceInfo.
The Snuipp-FSU, the first primary union, explained that the pupils cannot work properly under the current conditions. “Their number being very fluctuating and the hybrid teaching between face-to-face and distance education impossible to implement”, he specified to BFM TV. Another problem pointed out: “the non-replacement of sick teachers which is becoming untenable”.
According to the union, “Not only does the current protocol not protect students, staff and their families, but it also completely disorganizes the school. Thus, contrary to repeated government assertions, it is not the school that is open but a form of ‘nursery'”.
A mobilization against the health protocol at school
Faced with this “indescribable mess”, the Snuipp-FSU called for a national strike on January 13. Several unions quickly rallied to his cause. The Snuipp-FSU estimated that 75% of primary school teachers would strike and that half of the schools would be closed on Thursday. The Federation of Parents’ Councils (FCPE) has announced a “white day” in establishments and called on parents to “keep their children at home”.
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