Should we close classes to stem the Covid-19 epidemic?
This is what the majority union of national education physicians, the SNMSU-UNSA Education, wants this Monday, February 8 in a statement addressed to the ministry of Jean-Michel Blanquer "
the closure of all schools in from February 8, for the duration of the February holidays in the three geographic areas.
"
Read also: A year of hardship for schools disoriented by the pandemic
"
Two weeks of winter vacation will not be enough to reduce the incidence of the pandemic in schools
", explains the union, according to franceinfo.
"
The circulation of the virus in schools, from kindergarten to high school, among pupils and staff alike, is increasingly strong, with an increasing number of variants,
" he explains.
Four weeks of closed doors, therefore, which "
aim to slow down the circulation of the virus (...) in an attempt to avoid (...) confinement, which goes against the interest of the students
"
.
In this sense, the doctors of the National Education argue that the authorization of travel during the school holidays promotes
"the mixing of populations",
and ask the Minister to
"take into account the opinion of the doctors of the National Education who are experts in school health promotion ”.
To read also: "With the pandemic, the rediscovered virtues of the school"
School holidays began on Saturday with zone A, on holidays until February 22.
Zone C will follow, from February 13 to March 1.
Then zone B will close this period, from February 20 to March 8.
The closure of schools was already on the executive's table a few weeks ago, but the measure had not materialized, due, in particular, to the fierce opposition of Jean-Michel Blanquer on the issue.
Already at the end of December, Antoine Flahault, epidemiologist and director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Geneva (Switzerland), had indicated to
Le Figaro
that "
school holidays are a very powerful brake on respiratory virus diseases, and Covid should be no exception.
He had suggested an extension of the school closures.
