As the exam and competition period begins, the universities are already working on another thorny project: that of a new academic year in which, health instructions require, crowded lecture halls will probably no longer have the right to exist. Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, announces that she has asked the establishments to extend the distance lectures. She also looks back on this end of the year so special for young people, and so delicate for the most precarious.
Partials start while the universities are closed. What forms do they take?
FRÉDÉRIQUE VIDAL. The establishments made different choices according to the disciplines and the faculties. Examinations are done in the form of homework assignment or home report. Some have chosen to organize oral by videoconference, others offer online tests. In the vast majority of cases, things will not be done face to face.
Students worry about a tie break in the remote-monitored partials. Should universities abandon these systems to avoid young people being harmed for technical or social reasons?
I asked that we verify that no student is harmed by these particular circumstances. Universities have identified students who have difficulty accessing online resources and contacted them. Sometimes, they have taken charge of 4G keys, computer loans, etc. It is only in the closest proximity that we can ensure that the tests run as smoothly as possible.
What will the exams and contests planned for this summer look like?
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We prepare under the aegis of the health authorities a vade-mecum of instructions which must be scrupulously followed by the organizers of the tests. For example, it will probably be necessary to provide rooms with several entrances and a specific route so that candidates can reach their place, without crossing paths. There will be a minimum of one meter between each table and the possibility for students who have special needs, for health reasons for example, to compose away. These instructions may be adapted according to the evolution of the health situation.
That is to say ?
The competition organizers are preparing the tests, in particular with regard to the choice of places which allow the application of these instructions and to preserve the safety of candidates and supervisors.
Will students have to compose masked?
They will have to wear a mask to enter the rooms. Then, the spacing of the tables will allow them to remove it if they wish.
Will the crowded amphis that we know in several formations, as in law, last in September?
We asked the establishments to provide that the lectures could be offered at a distance. They are watching if it is possible. We are preparing for several scenarios but with one line: the dates for the start of the school year will not be offset.
Will distance learning courses stay at university for good, even after the crisis?
It is already conventional to offer hybrid lessons, where part is done remotely. Whether we can take an extra step for lectures, the teams are thinking about it. But you don't just learn from books or on the computer. Interactions with teachers are needed. It's essential.
Will those who had planned studies abroad at the start of the school year leave?
We do not know what all the universities in the world will do at the start of the September academic year. We must be careful and consider organizing mobility outside the European area rather in the second half than in the first. However, where partnerships exist between universities and if the partner sites are open and accessible in complete security, mobility should be able to stand.
How many students are in financial difficulty?
The Crous tell us that around 10% have lost their job due to the Covid-19. More generally, 20% of students are in a precarious situation, and 40% receive state aid. Since the start of the crisis, several levels of additional aid have been put in place. For example, 7 million euros have been distributed directly by establishments since March. As announced by the Prime Minister, additional aid of 200 euros per student in difficulty due to the crisis will be paid in the coming weeks.
Who can benefit from it?
It concerns those, scholarship holders or non-scholarship holders, who were on compulsory paid internship or employed on March 1, and who worked at least 32 hours per month, as well as isolated overseas students in mainland France. To benefit from this, you will need to log on to the etudiant.gouv.fr website, starting on Tuesday. It is estimated that it could affect 400,000 students.
Will this aid be renewed during the summer?
I can not tell you. For now, students must seize this window, which represents 80 million euros.
The student who had tried to immolate himself in front of the Crous de Lyon, to protest against student insecurity, came out of a coma. Have you heard from him?
We are hearing from him, notably through the university and through Crous. I am obviously extremely relieved, for him and his family.