According to the report of a Renaissance deputy presented on Tuesday, less than 20% of six-year-old students pass the medical examination, due to a lack of staff.
Coline is a school nurse in Île-de-France with two colleges and ten schools in her charge, i.e. more than 4,000 students in total. She regrets that it is impossible to carry out all her tasks, the follow-up of all the children, with regular check-ups, and emergencies. “There are days when I’m in checkup but I’m called because a child shows signs of beatings and a teacher is completely lost, so I prioritize, explains Colin. It happens very regularly and it impacts the quality of the work as well as the follow-up!”.
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In France, there are only 900 doctors and less than 8,000 nurses for 60,000 schools, according to an information report by Renaissance deputy Robin Reda, which is debated on Wednesday May 10, in the evening at the National Assembly. . For example, in this department of Île-de-France, where franceinfo met Coline, there are only four doctors. According to the report, less than 20% of six-year-old students pass the medical examination, which is supposed to be compulsory. AT 12 years old, only 60% have had their nursing check-up.
Scarification from primary school
Coline sees a clear evolution since when she started working in schools 17 years ago. “It’s been galloping for ten years and since confinement, it’s increased. These are new issues that have emerged, which have advanced in age, which we had in 3rd and which are now in 6th. what is scarification, adolescent malaise, I find that it emerges much earlier than before. It emerges in primary school! Clearly, we don’t have the means…”
“There are supports that I can’t do fully, I have a responsibility but I can’t do my job properly.”
Coline, school nurseat franceinfo
To this must be added the management of certain chronic illnesses and students with disabilities, who are more and more numerous while the means have remained constant. Coline must also regularly train teachers and supervisors in emergency actions, such as managing an epileptic seizure for example, or an allergy. She doesn’t have time to do it as well as she would like.
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Under these conditions, the school nurse fears serious consequences, “That one day something dramatic happens, an epileptic kid for example, something that does not go well in terms of care. I could be blamed.” According to Coline, there should be at least two school nurses in her sector, especially since she has just taken over an additional school. She denounces a lack of means but also of recognition.