“I scoured Netflix.
I pace around in my 9 m2 room.
And I sleep, very often.
I understand that some have suicidal urges, it's really complicated at the moment.
Mathieu, enrolled at the University of Yvelines, can no longer: distance learning, total disconnection with student life and teachers, not to mention that this Reunionese is far from his family.
It is to respond to his distress, and that of thousands of students, that Prime Minister Jean Castex convened, this Friday, the conference of university presidents, that of the grandes écoles, as well as the student unions.
The day after its press briefing on the health situation and various restrictive measures, the meeting had the air of a commando operation to convince that student discomfort is taken into account by the government.
And this, while more than one in three students, according to a study from the end of 2020, shows signs of depression.
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But in reality, "few very concrete announcements", deplored, at the end of the meeting, students and university presidents.
Main satisfaction: the creation "in a few days" of a "mental health check" - a term taken up by Jean Castex.
This device would consist of financing consultations with a city psychologist for students in difficulty.
But the contours remain to be specified.
“Frédérique Vidal
(Editor's note: Minister of Higher Education)
and the Ministry of Health are working on it.
This will be put in place very quickly to respond to the emergency of which the minister, who is a professor and has been university president, is fully aware, ”indicates the minister's entourage.
No indication for the moment on the amount of this check nor on the profile of the beneficiaries.
"We have been asking for it for a long time"
"This is a positive element, we have been asking for it for a long time", recognize the Unef and the Fage, two student unions.
Mélanie Luce, president of the UNEF, believes, however, that "it is largely insufficient to respond to the growing precariousness of students", her union quantifying at 1.5 billion euros the emergency plan necessary for higher education .
According to her, the real measure would have been to reopen the faculties to all, even in half-groups.
But no miracle this Friday: Jean Castex confirmed what he had announced Thursday evening during his press briefing.
On January 25, only first-year students will be able to return to the tutorial classes, in half-groups.
"We already knew since December, this is not an announcement," regrets Mélanie Luce.
Joined on this point by François Germinet, president of the University of Cergy (Val-d'Oise), who is also pleased that "this date, the only horizon existing in the state, was not canceled given the hardening of sanitary measures in the rest of the country ”.
For him, "each student should be able to get back to school very quickly".
It is a "question of mental health", assures Paul Mayaux, president of Fage.
A broader recovery plan under study
When will the face-to-face return for everyone take place?
During the meeting this Friday, the ministry indicated that work is underway on a “broader recovery plan”, but that it will be done “depending on the health situation”.
He hopes so "in the coming weeks", says one rue Descartes.
But, for François Germinet, it is absolutely necessary "to stick to the date of February 8", the one which had been announced by Emmanuel Macron in December, during his interview with the Brut media.
"Otherwise we will have terrible consequences on dropping out", still laments the boss of the college of Cergy.
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Another "announcement", the 80 psychologists and 60 social workers hired at the end of last year to deal with student discomfort will see their mission "extended" until the end of the calendar year, rather than the end of the second semester.
Among students, we prefer to laugh about it.
“This represents one psychologist for 30,000 students,” tackles the Unef.
"Except that it is also necessary to take into account the psychologists of city", answers the ministry.
Which also announces that the 1,600 referents in university residences and the 20,000 student-tutors created in November will also be perpetuated.
More generally, Jean Castex and Frédérique Vidal are committed to a more structural reflection, in the longer term, in particular with regard to stock markets.
An "essential" point for Mélanie Luce, who wants the award criteria to be "broadened" and the amounts "increased".
And hope for the start of the 2021 school year. "It is too early to say it but the reflection is there", one indicates to the ministry.