The general opinion is that "it's a complicated comeback".
This Monday, as announced just before the Christmas holidays by Frédérique Vidal, the Minister of Higher Education, a small part of the students were able to return to college.
In groups of no more than ten, students considered “vulnerable” - enrolled in the first year, foreign students, disabled or numerically insecure - were once again welcomed by their teachers.
"The objective is that they return to their university course, while respecting social distancing," said the Ministry of Higher Education.
Problem: for some, this device is a gas plant.
And universities will not be able to fully implement it.
This is the case for example in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine): “We received a circular just before the holidays.
It is up to us to identify the students deemed vulnerable, to see how the teachers can accommodate ten of them face-to-face, then move on to a remote course in front of 400 students.
And all that, without upsetting the schedules.
We will see if this is possible on a case-by-case basis, but we are not optimistic.
"
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Confinement: the great distress of the students
Back to school "difficult", confirms Guillaume Gellé, vice-president of the Conference of University Presidents (CPU), but essential for the most fragile.
"This device corresponds to requests from the CPU, which wanted to draw the alarm signal from students in difficulty", he supports.
"We observed that the feeling of confinement was better understood by those who had contact with their university," explains Guillaume Gellé.
Ideally, each student should be able to return physically to college quickly, to an extent yet to be defined.
"
For Paul Mayaux, president of Fage, the first student union, this return to selective university poses a problem of discrimination.
“With groups of ten students identified in an arbitrary manner, you leave others behind,” he said.
Not to mention that some universities do not apply it.
"
A blockade planned in Créteil
Another difficulty for this early return: face-to-face partials.
Thus, this Monday, mobilizations took place in several universities, in particular at the Sorbonne (Paris) and Créteil (Val-de-Marne), where a blockade is envisaged, this Tuesday, by students.
Objective of the discontented: to denounce the potential risk of contamination during a face-to-face examination.
“We are going to be seated next to each other, cross paths, take transport… It is not
safe,
given how the virus is circulating, Judge Mehdi, a first year law student at Créteil.
When we come back to our families, we don't want to bring the virus back.
"
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This fear of catching the Covid during exams exists almost everywhere, confirms Paul Mayaux: “We have surveyed universities across France.
However, a lot of students did not come to spend their partial this Monday.
It is not the only one, but the fear of contamination is one of the explanations.
"
In some cases, the organization of emergency examinations has also led to worrying regroupings.
In particular the time of the lunch break: "The partial was well organized, with a distance between each one, says Yohann, 18 years old, a first year student at the Catholic Institute of Paris, at the end of a partial, this Monday after- midday.
But at noon, we were opened to a room too small to eat.
It was the only heated place, and since the restaurants are closed, we crowded!
"
Next step on January 20?
What does the ministry say?
“The organization of examinations in higher education follows the recommendations of the interministerial crisis unit which itself is based on changes in the health situation.
», Explains a spokesperson for Frédérique Vidal.
The official recommendation is therefore, "whenever possible", to "maintain face-to-face exams", by implementing "a very rigorous health protocol [...], imposing strict respect for social distancing between students during exams, and the need to wear the mask throughout the event ”.
Calendar side, the next step concerning the return of all students to universities could be done as early as January 20, says the ministry, "depending on the health situation".
These would be first year students, initially for tutorials.