Covid-19: more than 21,000 classes closed in France, a record since the start of the pandemic

The number of classes closed because of the Covid continues to increase.

This figure even reached an unprecedented level since the start of the pandemic, with more than 21,000 classes closed, according to a situation report issued this Friday by National Education.

Over the past seven days, more than 572,000 students have tested positive, or nearly 5% of students.

A total of 21,049 classes were closed following the detection of at least one case of Covid among the students or due to the absence of teachers, i.e. 4% of the total.

Other data, more than 35,500 teachers or staff members have been infected in the last seven days, or nearly 3% of staff.

Class closures are particularly numerous in the Versailles academy (with 2,051 closures), but also in Créteil (2,034) and Lille (1,157).

Corsica is the most preserved academy with 88 class closures.

More than a hundred closed structures

If class closures increase, the number of school structures completely closed due to the virus tends to decrease.

In total, one high school, four colleges and 97 schools were closed on Thursday because of the Covid, i.e. 102 structures, against 152 the previous week.

More than 21,000 classes were closed yesterday following the detection of at least one case of #Covid among students or due to the absence of teachers, i.e. 4% of the total.

This is the highest number since the start of the pandemic (excluding confinements).

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— Nicolas Berrod (@nicolasberrod) January 28, 2022

Absences linked to Covid complicate the work of teachers, whose main unions are to meet the Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer this Friday noon.

On the menu of this interview, should appear the question of a possible postponement of the specialty tests for the baccalaureate which must be held from March 14 to 16.

"Maintaining the tests in March risks putting everyone in a tense situation because we still have 12% to 15% of teachers absent due to the Covid", notes Catherine Nave-Bekhti, of the Sgen-CFDT union.