There are those who assure that "everything is ready" to welcome children to school as of May 11. And those who are still working on the ground to ensure the safe return of students. For several days mayors and school directors have been transforming their establishments to apply the health protocol published by the Ministry of National Education as much as possible. Not without difficulties.
In Isabelle's school, director in the Alpes-Maritimes, the time is still for preparations. "We are going to organize a staggered return to school, with a view to opening next week. The time for her, and the municipal teams in her city, to make several changes. “We have to reinstall the whole class to respect the distance meter. We will surely remove tables or chairs. When possible because some benches and chairs are hung, ”she recalls. "But we will also have to store all this equipment, but the premises are not expandable," worries the director.
As everywhere in France, in Joël's school in Vannes (Morbihan), the precious moment of recreation will also undergo some changes. "We are going to allow class-by-class recreation for one hour," said the director.
For this moment of relaxation, the principal had to put away all the school balloons. "We will also prevent the children from going on the slides or playing on our billodrome." If he considers himself "lucky", because few students will resume class on May 12, the principal knows that he will not be able to strictly follow the protocol. "We will do what we can, but we cannot avoid everything," he said.
In the establishment of Anabel Roy, director of an elementary school in Haute-Vienne and departmental secretary of the SE-Unsa 87 union, it will be complicated to have nickels hands. “The municipality plans to condemn access to water so that children do not press the press buttons. There will be only one water point for 45 students, knowing that we have to wash our hands 5 to 10 times a day, we are going to spend the day there ”, gets carried away by the principal, opposed to the reopening of her school .
Emergency exits transformed into entrances
For Stéphane Tricart, mayor of Mussidan, in the Dordogne, impossible to resume from May 11. It was on the 18th that half of the 250 pupils in the commune returned to the somewhat unusual route to school. "The last recommendations of Mr. Blanquer will fall on Thursday, Friday being a holiday, we gave ourselves a week to finalize," said the councilor. For several days, the city councilor and the two school principals have been on deck.
"We transformed the school's emergency exits to have two entrances for kindergartens, and two entrances to primary," explains Stéphane Tricart, also a doctor by profession. Inside the establishments too, it was necessary to organize. "To avoid the students crossing paths, it will be like at Ikea, they will have to follow an arrowed route on the ground. "
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The canteen, used to serving 80% organic meals, will remain open. "No way to go to the sandwich," smiles the councilor. "Children will not eat face to face, respecting the barrier distances". For this, in the classrooms as in the refectory, many tables were removed and stored in an empty room. "This allows in particular to have less surface to clean," notes the mayor. Because from May 18, the household will be strengthened and a little different. The old brooms were put away in the cupboard, in favor of special brooms with wipes, to avoid aerosols. "It is a cost, of course, but it is necessary," concedes the mayor.
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