The Ministry of National Education has just presented Tuesday July 12 to the teachers’ unions the health protocol planned for the start of the school year in September 2022 according to the epidemic situation of Covid-19, learned franceinfo from a union source.
The ministry provides three levels of measures that can be activated depending on the general health context (nature of the variants, hospital situation, etc.). A period of ten days has been announced for the implementation of the transition from one level to another, in conjunction with the health authorities, further specifies the same source.
A first level calls for moderate vigilance, a reminder of barrier gestures and the limitation of large gatherings. Vigilance will be increased at level 2 with a reinforcement of barrier gestures and adapted sports practices. Finally, if the situation evolves very unfavorably, level 3 will be triggered, in particular with a hybridization of courses in high school and a restriction of PE activities.
Regarding the wearing of a mask in a school environment, the same rules as those for the general population in the public space will be in force. Similarly, contact tracing will be done according to guidelines aligned with the general population. Positive students will self-isolate but contact cases will not self-isolate and test themselves.
In alert level 1 and 2, lessons will be face-to-face, whether in primary school, middle school or high school. But at level 3, hybridization will be the rule in high school. High school students will have both face-to-face and distance learning courses, depending on the local health context.
The rules applied to outdoor physical and sporting activities are simplified. They can take place normally, regardless of the alert level. For indoor activities, a distancing adapted according to the sports practice will have to be respected indoors from level 2. At level 3, only low intensity activities compatible with the wearing of a mask will be allowed indoors with distancing rules. Regarding school catering, it will be compulsory, in the first degree, to limit the mixing per class, and this from level 2. In addition, there will be no more saliva test campaign.
The applicable level of protocol will be decided at the end of August. But according to union sources contacted by franceinfo, the ministry plans either normal operation or level 1 of the protocol. The Ministry of National Education will receive on Wednesday July 13 associations of parents of students and associations of local elected officials.