After a few weeks of summer truce, the Minister of Education Caroline Désir (PS) today finds the main players in education in order to prepare for the next September start in a health context marked by the recent resumption of contaminations.
Last June, the education ministers of the three communities agreed on a common color code (green, yellow, orange or red) accompanied by practical measures to be implemented according to the evolution of the epidemic. At the time, given the ebb of the pandemic then observed, but pending the availability of a vaccine or sufficient collective immunity, it was decided that the start of September would be in code yellow, i.e. high school attendance four days a week in class, and full-time for all nursery and primary.
Could the recent upturn in the number of contaminations push the authorities to decide to switch to Code Orange for the start of the school year? At this stage, nothing is decided yet. “We are working on a position to be transmitted to the CNS (National Security Council, editor’s note)“, we said Thursday to the office of Minister Désir. As in June, the various ministers of Education are in close contact with each other, as well as with health experts, to assess the situation as closely as possible.
The decision depends on the evolution of the epidemic
The system in place also makes it possible to take more stringent measures but in a localized manner depending on the appearance of possible clusters of contagion. Faced with a new school year that promises to be unlike any other, the various ministers will therefore each meet their stakeholders (organizing powers, unions, etc.) on Friday for an exchange of views.
A little over two weeks before the start of the school year, management, teachers and parents are still asking themselves several questions, in particular on compliance with compulsory education. At the height of the epidemic, Minister Désir had considerably relaxed the rules in this area, but in early June, she specified that the obligation would return “full and complete, whatever the circumstances“, from September 1st for all. What will happen finally?
Continuity of education in danger
Finally, education stakeholders are also waiting for clear instructions concerning the continuity of learning after a 2019-2020 school year which has been considerably reduced, and marked by a strong dropout of the most disadvantaged groups. In June, the government planned to hire additional teachers to provide remediation in underprivileged schools, but it is now time to put the measure into practice on the ground.
The meeting will also be an opportunity to take stock of the digital strategy and the distance learning that will have to be provided in the event of an intensification of the pandemic in the fall.
–
