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France to make face masks obligatory for all pupils aged 6 and over

The French Prime Minister announced on Thursday the face mask rules for school pupils would be tightened meaning children aged six and over would now have to wear them.

Published: 29 October 2020 09:44 CET

France to make face masks obligatory for all pupils aged 6 and over

AFP

Up until now face masks had been mandatory for pupils aged over 11, so those attending colleges (secondary schools) and lycées (high schools).

But the government has extended the rule to all pupils in primary schools. Children attending pre-school (écoles maternelles) will not have to wear the mask.

The measure was announced by PM Jean Castex a day after President Emmanuel Macron declared a new lockdown in France starting from Friday.

Castex told lawmakers in parliament that new efforts were needed “to protect all our children, teachers and parents.”

In contrast to the lockdown in spring the president and the government has decided to keep schools open, albeit with tighter sanitary rules in place.

“We have learnt the lesson from the first wave,” said the Prime Minister.

“Last spring massively increased the risk of school drop-outs, particularly among those in deprived areas,” he said.

“From Monday, when children return to school, the sanitary protocol will be made stricter. The requirement to wear a face mask will be extended to primary school children over the age of six.”

On Thursday France's Minister of Education added more details on the stricter protocol for schools.

He confirmed measures to limit the movement of pupils around the school would be taken and staggered lunch times and break times would be introduced so pupils do not all sit down together.

The disinfection and cleaning of schools would be more rigorous.

Blanquer added that 27 schools out of 61,500 in France were currently closed due to Covid-19 outbreaks, which the minister said confirmed that schools were not places where the virus spread easily.

“A school is a secure place,” he said.

READ MORE: What are the new rules for the second coronavirus lockdown in France?

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EXPLAINED: How parent representative elections work at French schools

Every year schools, collèges and lycées across France elect parent representatives to ensure the smooth running of individual establishments.

Electronic voting will be possible for the first time in the 2023 elections, which take place at schools nationwide on October 13th and 14th.

Parents are elected on to school councils and boards of governors to ensure representation of parents’ views. The intention is to “establish a real link between families and the school, and build a relationship of trust”.

READ ALSO What to expect if your child is starting school in France

Parents tend to have less contact with schools in France then they do in other countries – in France the philosophy is that teachers teach and parents parent and the roles are quite separate – so the parent representatives forms an official link between home and school.

Elections for parent representative on school, collège and lycée boards before the end of the seventh week of the school year. This year, that’s Friday, October 13th or Saturday, October 14th – earlier in Mayotte and La Réunion, because of their school calendars.

Who can become a parent representative?

To become a parent representative, you must :

Have parental authority over a child enrolled in the school where the elections are being held;
Be registered on an electoral list (which rules out non-EU citizens, since they are not permitted to vote in France)
Once elected, parent representatives can be present at the various school council meetings and are in contact with the members of the educational community.

The electoral list must be sent to the elections office or to the school principal at least 10 days before the elections.

Who can vote?

Anyone who has parental authority over a child at school is entitled to vote for a parental representative. French or EU nationality is not required.
Each parent is entitled to a single vote, regardless of the number of children enrolled at the same school.
No proxy votes are allowed, and all votes are secret. You can vote at the school on the day of the vote, or by sending in your ballot paper by post before the closing date. This year, electronic voting will be available. Your child’s school will have more detailed information on how this will work.

The elections take place during France’s national School Democracy Week, which raises awareness about the importance of elections.

As well as elections for parents’ representatives on the school council and the board of directors, as well as elections for the council of delegates for student life – which take place from October 9th to October 14th.

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