While Seine-Saint-Denis has the highest departmental incidence rate in France (789.6 cases of Covid-19 contamination per 100,000 inhabitants), the health situation continues to worsen in schools.
This Monday morning, some of the teachers of the Eugène-Delacroix high school in Drancy once again asserted their right of withdrawal, demanding the closure of the premises, which brings together 2,400 students and 240 teachers.
At the end of the morning, they went to demonstrate in front of the Avicenne hospital, in Bobigny, to denounce the lack of resources allocated to National Education and to the hospital.
"We can no longer welcome students in a decent way"
This Monday, 15 classes were closed by the rectorate to apply the new rule put in place by the Ministry of Education: a class closed from the first case of Covid declared.
According to the rectorate, over the last nine days, 35 students and 11 teachers have been diagnosed positive for Covid-19 in the establishment.
"We are asking for a switch to distancing because we can no longer welcome students in a decent way," said Aline Cottereau, a French teacher.
There are not enough cleaning agents, hydroalcoholic gel.
Our students have only received two masks since September.
It's impossible to maintain social distancing in the classroom.
There is a real gap between what we are asked on paper and what we can do on the ground.
"
At the end of the lessons this Monday noon, the students believe, for their part, that the closure - demanded by the deputy of the constituency Jean-Christophe Lagarde (UDI) - is inevitable.
“I only had one lesson today because one of my teachers is a contact case.
It's been two weeks since I last attended face-to-face math.
We don't come for much anymore ”, testifies Betty, in terminal.
"We have the impression that they have done everything to close," laments a group of four boys in terminal, which already follows half of its courses at a distance for several months.
At least 20 high school students have lost someone close to Covid since the start of the crisis
The idea of a switch to 100% distancing does not worry them too much.
“Last year, the distance, it was nonsense.
There are teachers we haven't heard from for a term.
This year, it's better prepared.
We are well equipped, the teachers send us videos, lessons, even if at the level of concentration, it is much more complicated than face-to-face.
"
If they are not afraid of catching Covid-19, these young people are still worried about their families while at least 20 students have lost a loved one from the coronavirus in the establishment since the start of the crisis sanitary.
“My mother is starting to stress because of the Covid-19,” Ugo blows.
Bobigny, this Monday.
The teachers of the Eugène-Delacroix high school in Drancy demonstrated even in front of the Avicenne hospital.
LP / HH
This Tuesday, the National Education must organize a screening operation in the high school, which will undoubtedly continue on Wednesday.
"I hope that families will play the game and encourage their children to be tested so that we have a more concrete idea of the level of contamination in the establishment, even though we know that there may be false negatives with antigenic tests ”, describes Denis Le Meur, representative of the association of parents of students FCPE.
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Depending on the results, the closure of the school may be "inevitable", he says.
“Even if for us, this is not the solution.
Of course, the distance learning courses are going a little better than last year, but they are far from being as beneficial as the face-to-face ones.
"
Parents and teachers ask for additional measures
In Seine-Saint-Denis, the adjustment of the health protocol, announced Friday, by the Minister of National Education, is not convincing.
Very critical, the association of parents of FCPE 93 students recalls that it "has been asking for months" for measures to stem the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic.
Starting with the lack of mixing between classes in colleges.
“The
one-room-one-class system
is hardly ever implemented because it requires additional supervisory staff at intercourse,” she notes.
It also offers solutions to reduce stirring in canteens (provision of third places, barnums, offering cold meals in classrooms).
The association is also campaigning for a more effective screening campaign and rapid vaccination of educational personnel.
For her, distance education is still not up to the challenges.
“Nothing has been planned for a new total confinement, neither on the material level, nor on the educational level.
"
For its part, the Snes-FSU teachers' union of the academic sections of Créteil, Paris and Versailles notably demanded, this weekend, the rapid establishment of a vaccination campaign, the passage in half-groups in all colleges and the recruitment of additional staff for school life.
