Back to school: a strike notice to protest against the health situation in schools

Faced with the Omicron surge, which is pushing the number of contaminations to an unprecedented level, the government announced on December 27 an arsenal of new measures for the cultural and sports sector as well as for businesses. The health protocol in schools, on the other hand, remains almost unchanged, and provokes the anger of trade unions who have already decided for some to protest from the start of the school year, maintained on Monday, January 3.

In a statement published on December 28, the SNES-FSU filed a strike notice for the week of the start of the school year, which must be renewed “throughout the month of January”. “The contradiction between the findings and the proposals is immense and the absence of solutions to secure schools confirms the little consideration that this government has for our education system in times of crisis”, attacks the union. “The absence of government announcements for colleges and high schools in the middle of the 5th wave, with a variant that circulates quickly, is irresponsible”, he continues.

For the time being, only one “Frequently Asked Questions” about the health situation has been updated on the website of the Ministry of Education, with some details around, in particular, the moments of festivities, canceled, and parents’ meetings. teachers “strongly discouraged”. But the SNES-FSU wants more“clarifications (…) on re-entry conditions” and also demands the postponement of the specialty baccalaureate exams, scheduled for March.

The Sud Education Paris union also joined the movement on December 27 by submitting a strike notice from January 3 to March 5, 2022, wishing among other things to mobilize for “for resources and a policy to protect the health and safety of personnel and the population in the face of the covid-19 epidemic”.

In a joint declaration, several organizations also called for new measures, including these two organizations which have striking branches. Following the announcements of Jean Castex on Monday, December 27, “our school system appears once again as a blind spot in the government’s health policy”, believe the FSU and Sud Education Solidaires, alongside the CGT and Snalc.

“Our organizations are very worried about the conditions for the start of the school year scheduled for January 3”, they continue, pointing in particular to a lack of replacement of sick teachers or case-contacts. They also require a more intensive testing campaign (although it was stepped up on Saturday by the health ministry in a protocol that changes isolation conditions) and more investment in ventilation and air purification.

The unions also believe that the protocol put in place on November 29, which allowed students to return to class in the event of contamination if they were tested negative, rather than closing the class, “left the possibility for many students carrying the virus but asymptomatic or in the process of incubation to continue going to school, and thus could contribute to the circulation of the virus”.