Coronavirus. Back to college: a very gradual recovery

After schoolchildren last week, the first schoolchildren, who live in the departments where the Covid-19 is not very present, will be able to find the classrooms and their comrades, from this Monday, May 18. Only, their course days will be very different from those they knew before the confinement.

Less than 10% of students

Only students of 6^e and 5^e, who live in a department where the coronavirus circulates little, will be able to find their college, on a voluntary basis, from Monday. This represents “At least 85% of colleges, or 4,000 establishments” said National Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer on Thursday. Alone “150,000 students” are affected, out of a total of 1.6 million students from 6^e and 5^e in all the countries.

A mask for all

As required by health protocol, the classes will not exceed fifteen students. Everyone must wear a mask. It is normally up to the colleges to provide them. “We received a state grant of 200 cloth masks for staff and 520 masks for students, or four per person”, explains Gilles Cornillet, principal of the Fontaine-Margot college, in Brest (Finistère), who also “Bought fifty visors for staff”.

Preparation for the return of students from May 18. Optimal personal protection (visors and masks), floor marking for a unique direction of traffic. Highly the pre-entry of teachers on Friday (in 2 groups) to run the organization with them. pic.twitter.com/jxorkunSax

– Gilles CORNILLET (@clg_FMargot) May 12, 2020

An uneven situation depending on the establishment. “Not everyone received the masks”, alerts Anne-Sophie Legrand, of the majority union Snes-FSU, who is fighting for “Health guarantees”.

The building puzzle

Direction of circulation, hydroalcoholic gel at the entrance … Each college has defined its own organization to enforce physical distance, hand washing or cleaning of premises, because the buildings are very different. “In my college, the students will stay three hours in a row in the same room, without recess, because the corridors are very narrow”, explains Anne-Sophie Legrand, professor of physical sciences in Paris.

What will the days look like?

All the timetables have been revised: the students will come every other day or week or for half a day. They will carry out the work planned in distance by their teachers. Some teachers will remain in telework (health imperative, babysitting …), while others will work face to face and distance. Courses must be provided for those who do not resume, as well as for the 4^e and 3^e. “On Monday, my daughter will only have classes from 8:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., explains a father, whose daughter is in 6^e at the College of Tour-d’Auvergne, in Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine). Her music teacher will supervise geo-history, math and SVT. “

Restoration or not?

Again, the scenarios are manifold. In Loire-Atlantique, the department has planned the distribution of cold meals. No restoration at the Tour-d’Auvergne. But at Fontaine-Margot, self service is possible, since half of the students have chosen to have lunch at home.

When will the other college students take over?

No decision has been made for the 4^e and 3^e, nor for those educated in the red zone. Everything will depend on “Health circumstances”, said the Minister of National Education again Thursday, who asked to wait ” ten days ” to know this decision.

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