If insurance is not compulsory to go to school, it is in fact very difficult not to take out one for your child, because the establishment may require it for any activity outside school hours.
Homecoming is coming. Monday, September 4, more than 12 million schoolchildren, college students and high school students will return to school benches. You have bought the supplies and the books, the schoolbags are ready… But have you thought about taking out school insurance for your child? This contract, which can be taken alone or sometimes in addition to home insurance, protects the child, if he is the author of an accident but especially if he is a victim.
Every year there is approximately 25,000 accidents recorded, not counting those that take place on the journey between home and school, details a spokesperson for Matmut. Among the main accidents recorded by the MAE Observatory on the risk of accidents for children aged 3 to 18, 45% are injuries without scars (broken tooth, minor fractures, sprains…). And in 22% of incidents, the glasses are broken. Prevention is better than cure!
65% of accidents happen during CPR
But then, is school insurance compulsory? It’s not supposed to be mandatory, but in fact it more or less is, says Ralph Ruimy, co-founder of online insurance Acheel. the start of school, the teachers will ask for it all children because it is obligatory for all that is extra-curricular or extracurricular.
There is no need for insurance during school time and therefore it is not required for the child’s enrollment in school, but it remains recommended, supplemented by Matmut. On the other hand, for anything that is not part of the student’s schedule, such as trips or an outing to a museum, for example, the establishment may require the student’s participation to take out insurance. Parents must also take out school insurance if the child has lunch in the canteen.
What school insurance covers
First of all, the damage that the student could cause to his classmates, a teacher, to the buildings and to the school equipment… This is the civil liability guarantee. The contract also covers damages that the child may suffer while at school (whether there is an identified responsible party or not). This is the bodily accident guarantee.
Among what is covered by school insurance, we can cite a window broken by a ball during recess, a stampede resulting in broken glasses or even a broken arm during an outing to the swimming pool.
If school insurance is not compulsory during school time, two thirds of the accidents recorded by the MAE nevertheless occur when the children are in recess, notes Philippe Bnet, President of the MAE. In addition, contrary to what one might think, home insurance cannot replace school insurance because it only covers damage or injury caused by a child to his classmates, but does not protect him if he is the victim of an accident himself without an identified third party or if he is injured alone. This is why we strongly advise parents to take out school insurance.
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Be careful though: as with any insurance, the guarantees vary from one contract to another. what should be taken into account when taking it? at the MAE, the average loss is 528 euros, reveals Philippe Bnet. However, there are many small refunds, of less than 100 euros. What is important therefore, is that there is no deductible, otherwise the insured will have to pay a part. Then, of course, you have to check the content of the guarantees.
At the beginning of the year, teachers ask for the insurance certificate. Then there is a week or two to bring it.
It’s not too late to get one
For example, some contracts do not provide insurance for journeys between home and school. However, this type of accident is frequent: still according to the MAE Observatory, the risk of a problem on the way to school for a college student is 2.5 times higher than for a primary school student.
C price, school insurance varies 812euros per year at Acheel, 1339euros for MAE and 1242euros for Matmut, depending on the level of coverage and reimbursement in the event of a problem. For example, while all the basic contracts cover the civil liability of the child, the complete MAE contract covers the latter 24 hours a day, even outside school hours.
School insurance and home insurance, a duplicate?
While school time coverage can be included in your home insurance, the two complement each other.
School insurance is not completely compulsory, but essential if you want your child to be able to participate in all the activities offered by his school or his municipality, details Assurland in a press release dedicated to duplicates. It applies from home-school journeys, within the establishment (from kindergarten to high school) and during activities and outings organized by it.
If your multi-risk home also covers your child for damage caused to others, home insurance does not necessarily insure him if he is the victim of the accident.
For its part, school insurance thus makes it possible to cover medical, pharmaceutical, surgical and hospitalization costs, not to mention cover in the event of a more serious accident resulting in permanent disability.
Finally, if you have not yet taken out school insurance, don’t panic: Parents who have forgotten can do so perfectly at the beginning of September, reassures Ralph Ruimy. At the beginning of the year, the teachers ask for the insurance certificate and then there is a week or two to bring it.
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