The Minister of Education presented this Tuesday 21st April 2020 the plans with the aim of reopening schools from May 11th, date of the start of deconfinement.
The Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer was interviewed by videoconference this Tuesday 21st April 2020 before the Committee on Cultural Affairs and Education of the National Assembly.
The Minister presented the plans being studied with the aim of reopening schools from May 11th, the date chosen to begin deconfinement in France. Here’s what to remember.
[Commission des affaires culturelles]
🎙️ Audition, en visioconférence, de Jean-Michel Blanquer, ministre de l’Éducation nationale et de la jeunesse.
▶️ Suivre en direct sur le portail vidéo de l’Assemblée nationale https://t.co/UYRS1ahsI3.#DirectAN pic.twitter.com/gBUuEjKHLJ— Assemblée nationale (@AssembleeNat) April 21, 2020
A gradual return to school
The Minister had already said it, the day after Emmanuel Macron’s television intervention on April 13: ” The return to school will be gradual “. This Tuesday, he detailed the back-to-school forecasts:
- From the week of May 11th
The first week of re-entry will concern Monday 11th May, first with a pre-re-entry of teachers, then a return of students from large sections, CP and CM2.
- From May 18th
Students in the sixth and third years of college and the students in the first and final years will be allowed to return to school.
- From May 25th
All classes can resume classes, after these first weeks of gradual return, from the week of May 25th.
DIRECT 🔴 Coronavirus : ” Les grandes sections, les CP et les CM2 ” pourraient être les premiers à revenir en classe à partir du 11 mai, selon les pistes dévoilées par Jean-Michel Banquer
Suivez notre direct ⤵️ https://t.co/p55tXg40me pic.twitter.com/sbTZS7irNu
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) April 21, 2020
DIRECT 🔴 Coronavirus : ” Les grandes sections, les CP et les CM2 ” pourraient être les premiers à revenir en classe à partir du 11 mai, selon les pistes dévoilées par Jean-Michel Banquer
Suivez notre direct ⤵️ https://t.co/p55tXg40me pic.twitter.com/sbTZS7irNu
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) April 21, 2020
The Minister made it clear that this return to school will not be compulsory.
“If families do not want to send their child, it is possible, but distance education will have to be provided.”
“No more than 15 students”
“Not a single class will have more than 15 students,” added the minister, who detailed:
“The pupils will be either in half-group, either in the presence, or at a distance, or in third place the pupil will be studied, if the establishment allows it and we will offer, fourthly, in an optional way to all the municipalities, to have sports activities next to the establishment.”
He, however, specified that significant margins of flexibility will be left locally “to define in particular the manner of making half-groups”.
Coronavirus : “Pas une seule classe n’aura plus de 15 élèves”, indique Jean-Michel Blanquer devant la mission d’information de l’Assemblée nationale
Suivez le direct ⤵https://t.co/p55tXg40me pic.twitter.com/wtpn8oT9Jf
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) April 21, 2020
Sports activities this summer
Another plan of the government, the strengthening of the open school system, to allow that “fun and sporting activities” are offered in schools and establishments, which “will remain open in July and August”.
The minister clarified that “the tutoring modules will be developed during the holidays, especially in the last week of August”.
Jean-Michel Blanquer also expressed the wish to “allow more children to go to summer camps”, “in a regional setting”.
On the teachers’ side
For teachers, the Minister indicated that they will be at work in schools unless they are vulnerable in terms of their health.
In which case “they will stay at home and may be able to telecommute”.
A health protocol will be put in place to ensure everyone’s health security: masks, soap, hydroalcoholic gel, water points, etc. In the event of a lack of guarantees, establishments will not be able to reopen, the minister assured.
He recalled that these tracks remain the state of study and must be discussed more fully before validation.
