In an intervention, quite brief with regard to the expected clarifications, the Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, delivered this Thursday afternoon some details on the new back-to-school season that is looming the week of May 11.
Why reopen schools so early? "We consider that children should not remain without physical contact with the school between the month of March and the month of September", immediately justified the minister, evoking a "pedagogical and social imperative".
This return will indeed be optional, and the sanitary rules will not allow everyone to be accommodated at the same time, confirmed Jean-Michel Blanquer, recalling the priority given to certain pupils, especially the children of caregivers, but also "children identified as dropouts or in the process of dropping out". "We estimate them at around 4% today and there is a lot of work to be done to bring them back to school," said the minister.
1 million students welcomed
Concretely, after one or two days of pre-school on May 11 and 12, "80 to 85% of schools will open next week," explained Jean-Michel Blanquer, announcing a total of about "1 million students welcomed " Back to school will be provided by "130,000 teachers and 12,000 medical and social staff", the other teachers being involved in distance education.
"This is not a return, it is a gradual recovery," also said the minister, calling to use this deconfinement to detect possible "trauma" from the confinement period. "It is a month of May and a month of June which will not be usual months".
Colleges to open May 18 in green departments
As a reminder, in a circular dated Wednesday, the Prime Minister asked the prefects to give mayors the prerogative to open or not schools, and the academic authorities to involve mayors in the implementation of health rules in the environment school.
Regarding the colleges, they will be able to reopen in the green departments on May 18 "as planned," announced the Prime Minister. They will remain closed for at least the next three weeks in the red departments, in Île-de-France, in Grand Est and in Mayotte.
Newsletter - The essentials of the news
Every morning, the news seen by Le ParisienI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
VIDEO. The new deconfinement map: "Four regions in red, including Île-de-France"