Jean-Michel Blanquer, Minister of National Education, Youth and Sports, was the guest of “8:30 am franceinfo “, Monday November 8, 2021. Return of the mask to school, freedom of choice for directors, withdrawal of Thomas Sotto from the presidential election … He answers questions from Marc Fauvelle and Salhia Brakhlia.
Mask at school: “It’s unpleasant for everyone, but here it is necessary”
The mask becomes mandatory again this Monday, November 8 at school in 40 departments where the incidence rate has risen above 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.“It’s unpleasant for everyone but it’s necessary”, says Jean-Michel Blanquer. “This is a rule that we established at the end of August, we said that we would change the cursor according to the health situation, that’s what we are doing since these departments are on the rise in terms of incidence rate “, he continues.
“We were very clear when we did it, we said it could go back”, insists the Minister of National Education. “Everyone understands that when the health situation starts again, you have to put the mask back on”, believes Jean-Michel Blanquer ensuring that “every Monday, it is possible to have an evolution in one direction or the other” according to the epidemic evolution of each department. According to him, “it’s not unimaginable” that the mask become compulsory again everywhere in France, even if it “do not wish”. The minister is also “very admiring” of the “everyone’s adaptability” and “especially children”.
Choice of teachers in Marseille: “We are going to create positions with a profile”
President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday, November 2 that he wanted to experiment in Marseille, in 50 “laboratory” schools, from the start of the 2022 school year, the freedom of the choice of teachers by directors, an announcement that triggered the ire of teachers’ unions. “I always hear all the criticisms and all the comments”, affirms Jean-Michel Blanquer, while Benoît Payan, the mayor of the city considers that this experiment “will not happen”. “We are used to the National Education to have avant-garde, experimental positions”, judge the minister, citing the duplication of classes of CP in priority areas.
“We will create profile positions for the schools concerned”, continues Jean-Michel Blanquer, “but the most important thing is to have an educational project school by school” he judges. For the minister, it will be up to the educational team to define the educational project, always with “fundamental knowledge at the center, but there is also a whole series of things around culture and sport”.
Thomas Sotto withdrawing from the presidential election: “Automaticities that can be discussed …”
The journalist Thomas Sotto will not present the political program “Elysée 2022” of France 2, explaining this decision by a romantic relationship with the communications advisor of the Prime Minister Jean Castex. “I think just because you’re someone’s spouse doesn’t mean you think the same as that person, or even influence them“, reacts Jean-Michel Blanquer. “I think that we sometimes arrive at automaticities that can be discussed because it is a bit of an insult to the autonomy of thinking. I believe that in a democracy we must give everyone credit for thinking for themselves”, adds the Minister.
Find the entire “8h30 franceinfo” Thursday, November 8, 2021: