Thursday evening, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, announced the closure of all school structures in the country with the aim of limiting gatherings and curbing the spread of the virus. The measure goes into effect this Monday, at a time when France, in stage 3, is slowing down.
“But yes, but yes, school is over…” Not really, even if the bell will not ring this Monday. While the closure of schools initially pleases students, the situation is very serious. It is not simply a vacation since the date of reopening for schools is currently unknown. It is estimated to be a minimum of two to three weeks, during which elementary, middle, high school, and university students will have to take online courses from home. This weekend, the organization is not yet optimal. “I have prepared files, courses in PDF, and will give them a schedule for the week, but I will not be coming to class to conduct video conferences if my students are not there, I won’t come,” admits this History-Geography teacher at Lycée Masséna. He, aware of the health crisis the country is experiencing, worries about how long these measures will last in France. “If we are on an Italian-like trajectory, we won’t see the students before the end of the spring break and if it’s really bad, they may not return before May 2 or 3.”
Indeed, it is this uncertain duration that raises many questions, particularly for students taking exams this year. “We were supposed to have a mock French baccalaureate on Wednesday, which will be canceled, and in two months, we are supposed to take the E3C exams, but that will be postponed too,” worries Laurine, a junior-year student, admitting that for seniors, the schedule is even more complicated. The young girl reassures herself, “I will be able to catch up a bit on my work during this period; I need to stay on track even if it feels a bit like being on vacation.”
Self-directed courses, PDF documents, video conferences, online courses via the CNED platform… The establishments and teachers are urgently organizing themselves. Starting this Monday, no schools will be open, just like the vast majority of places welcoming the public, according to the latest precautionary measures announced by the Prime Minister on Saturday.
