The “schools, daycares and canteens” of the 36 municipalities of the urban community of Lens-Liévin (Pas-de-Calais) - representing more than 240,000 inhabitants in total - will not reopen on May 11, their mayors announced in a press release published Wednesday evening. "We are making the decision not to reopen our schools, daycares and canteens on May 11 according to the recommendations of the scientific committee" , write the signatory mayors, including Sylvain Robert, president of the urban community of Lens-Liévin (CALL) and mayor of Lens.
“We urge the establishment of an emergency plan which must be prepared with all the actors of the educational community: staff unions, federations of parents of students, high school organizations, communities, education associations popular, etc., ” they continue.
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The scientific council, a body intended to enlighten the government in its measures to fight the epidemic of Covid-19, published Saturday a notice in which it "takes note" of the decision to gradually reopen schools from May 11 , while indicating that for his part he advocated waiting until September instead.
"We are asked, we mayors (...) to guarantee the proper spacing of children in classes, to enforce physical distance as well as barrier and hygiene measures" , remind the mayors of CALL in their communicated. “It is clear that we still do not know the implementation procedures detailed enough to guarantee the safety of all: students and staff. The vagueness is still total, in particular on the health protocol to be applied by the communities ” , they estimate.
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"Anyone who knows the reality on the ground immediately sees the intractable puzzle that would represent the return of 12 million students in most schools, even in groups of 15 per class, even alternately," they continue. , regretting "announcements made without consultation" which "only add to the confusion and anxiety" in a period where "calm, reason, and collective reflection must prevail" .