Covid-19: postponement of the bac, gauge in high schools, winter holidays ... Jean-Michel Blanquer takes stock

Invited this Sunday on RTL, the Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, indicated that the gauge imposed in high schools would surely be extended beyond January 20 due to the health crisis, but rejected for the time being the idea of ​​postponing the first exams of the bac scheduled for March.

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The government in November asked high schools to adapt their organization to try to limit the progression of the Covid-19 epidemic, with a gauge of 50% of students today respected, according to the ministry, in 69% public establishments in the country.

At the time, the ministry anticipated a possible resumption of classes at 100% of the workforce in high schools around January 20.

Jean-Michel Blanquer at #LeGrandJury @RTLFrance: "The first baccalaureate exams are held in March" https://t.co/6puDcx9KCE

- RTL France (@RTLFrance) January 10, 2021

"I think we will have to come back to this […] the epidemic situation being what it is," Jean-Michel Blanquer agreed Sunday to the RTL-Le Figaro-LCI Grand Jury.

"One million tests in schools" in January

The appearance of a British variant of Covid-19, deemed to be more contagious among young people, worries the health authorities, while the circulation of the virus remains important in France with an average of 18,000 cases daily.

However, the minister refused to consider postponing the early baccalaureate exams for the time being.

"We must maintain in March and then we will look [...] at what is predictable on the epidemic plan", he pleaded, adding that "at this stage, we are maintaining the month of March in the interest of the students ".

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Teachers and parents of students have for their part demanded, in recent weeks, the postponement to June of these specialty tests in Terminale.

Jean-Michel Blanquer also confirmed that a possible extension of the February vacation was "not on the agenda".

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He also announced “one million school tests” in January.

Since November, only 10,000 tests had been carried out on a voluntary basis in the high schools of around ten academies.