SHARE
COPY LINK

HEALTH

Will France reopen all schools in June?

Reopening schools is a "main priority," the French government confirmed on Thursday, as ministers laid out the plan to ease more of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the coming weeks.

Will France reopen all schools in June?
Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer. Photo: AFP

“Reopening schools has been one of our main goals,” said Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer as he presented the next steps France will take to progressively return more pupils back to class as of June 2nd.

That date marks the beginning of “phase 2” in the progressive lifting of the coronavirus lockdown imposed on March 17th by President Emmanuel Macron.

Phase 2 will, like phase 1, last approximately three weeks, from June 2nd to June 21st.

Stressing that the “method would remain the same,” based on “pragmatism” and “putting the health of pupils and employees first,” Blanquer said more schools would reopen in the weeks to come.

That means keeping restrictions on class sizes – 15 pupils maximum in schools, 10 in nurseries.

What will reopen?

As of June 2nd, all of France's elementary and primary schools will begin to reopen “for at least part of the week,” the education minister said, while maintaining current practices of taking in smaller groups. 

Secondary schools (collèges), which had so far only been able to reopen in green zones, would begin to reopen as of June 2nd, “both in green and orange zones,” Blanquer said.

As for high schools (lycées), they would reopen in green zones only. Orange zones – like the greater Paris region – would work to reopen for some technical college students only.

READ MORE: France's latest announcements on lifting lockdown in June 

 

How many will go back to class?

While the goal is to reopen all schools except lycées, this will not mean all pupils will return to class at the same time.

The return will, as the government has stressed from the outset, will be progressive and adapted to local authorities' wishes.

Right now, more 80 percent of France's total infant and junior schools (maternelle and élémentaire) have reopened in over 90 percent of the country's communes, according to Blanquer.

Still only a marginal part of the pupils have returned to class, 22 percent in green zones and 14 percent in red.

There are also regional differences, so for example in the Brittany département of Finistère all primary schools are open but in the eastern département of Oise only around 50 percent are open.

Many parents opted out of sending their children to class, preferring to keep them home for the time being and give priority for parents working jobs where remote working is impossible.

 

Sending children back to school will still be done on voluntary basis during phase 2.

The goal will be to progressively increase the number of children returning to class in the coming week, and ensure that all infant and primary schools “systematically receive pupils, at least for a part of the week,” Blanquer said.

“As health precautions will be maintained, groups will still be limited to 15 at the time,” Blanquer said, adding that, “everything will not be perfect from one day to the next.”

“What's important is that we move forward,” he said.

Scrapped le bac

The oral exam of the baccalauréat  – the infamous end-of-high school test – has been cancelled, Blanquer confirmed.

This latter decision was received with a wave of relief on social media by anxious high schoolers, with tweets like “we love you, Blanquer” circulating shortly after the announcement.

 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

CLIMATE CRISIS

Explained: How dangerous are French heatwaves?

France regularly issues weather alerts when heatwaves strike - but how dangerous are sizzling days in France? And how can you keep yourself safe?

Explained: How dangerous are French heatwaves?

A recent report highlighted the potential risks to athletes’ health if this summer’s Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games take place during a heatwave. The report, backed by climate scientists and athletes, warned of the potentially fatal risks of high temperatures at this year’s Games.

While most people are unlikely to be trying to break a 100m record during a heatwave – or any other time in fact – high temperatures bring with them serious risks to health.

Mercury rising

Any temperatures in France are getting higher, the country has endured a series of record heatwaves in recent years.

The all-time temperature record for Paris is 42.6C, set during a heatwave in 2019. It’s entirely possible this record won’t last long – 2022 was the hottest year on record in France, with a record 33 days meeting officially defined heatwave conditions: five in June and 14 in both July and August.

Vérargues, in the southern Hérault département, holds the highest recorded temperature in France – 46C set on June 28th, 2019. 

The highest national average temperatures in France were recorded later in the year: August 5th, 2003, saw an average national temperature of 29.47C, followed by July 25th, 2019, when the average daily temperature was 29.4C.

And remember – air conditioning is not standard in French homes

Health risks

There is no question that heatwaves can be fatal – some 400 people died in France in a two-week heatwave in August 2023 when new local temperature records were set around the country, according to public health data.

Over the whole of last summer, some 5,000 excess deaths were recorded between June 1st and September 15th, 2023, of which 1,500 were attributed to the heat.

Over the same period, nearly 20,000 heat-related emergency calls were recorded, according to a report by Santé Publique France published in February this year, and 10,600 additional hospitalisations followed a visit to the emergency department during periods of high temperature.

READ ALSO How to keep your home cool during France’s heatwaves

The risk is highest among the elderly or people with chronic health conditions, but also at risk are outdoor workers and people exercising – including hiking – during the hottest part of the day.

The government issues weather warnings – ranging from yellow (be aware) to red (potential risk to life) during heatwaves and we would strongly advise people to take notice and follow the advice, even if you come from a hot country.

Climate trends

And it seems that the situation is not going to get better soon, even if the response has improved.

“By the end of the century, heatwaves will be more frequent, more intense, and spread over a period from May to October,” warned France’s Haut Conseil pour le climat (High Council for the Climate) in a report in 2021.

Around 80 percent of the French population will experience 16 to 29 abnormally hot days each year over the three decades to come, as climate change takes hold according to a 2022 study by national statistics institute Insee – with Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Occitanie the most affected regions.

READ ALSO ‘Avoid iced water and air-conditioning on max’ – How the French stay cool in a heatwave

It estimates that more than 9 million people will have to endure more than 20 extremely hot days each year in the years to come. Nighttime temperatures will also rise, with some areas seeing up to 19 abnormally hot nights each year, compared to seven between 1976 and 2005.

The phenomenon of ‘tropical nights’ – where the temperature does not drop below 23C even at night – is linked to sleepless nights and heat stress, as the body does not get the chance to cool itself.

Meanwhile, Santé Publique France’s figures underline the impact of high temperatures during heatwaves, it said, and confirmed the need for measures throughout the country, and for a reinforced strategy of adaptation to climate change, to reduce the impact of heat on health.

 The unusual Pentecôte public holiday in France, when many people work ‘for free’ by donating that day’s salary a government ‘solidarity fund’ for the elderly, was introduced in 2005 following the disastrous 2003 heatwave, when more than 15,000 French people, most of them elderly, died in the sweltering temperatures.

READ ALSO How to keep your home cool during France’s heatwaves

Heat islands

The particular problem with Paris – and other major conurbations – is that it is a noted ‘urban heat island’, where temperatures can be up to 10C warmer than in the surrounding countryside, due to a combination of human activities, concrete surfaces that reflect heat, and heat pollution such as air conditioning units and cars.

The phenomenon also leads to significantly warmer nighttime temperatures, as heat accumulates during the day but cannot escape in the same way it might in a less dense environment – making for sticky nights that make it hard to sleep and increase the effects of heat stress, especially among the elderly or ill.

READ ALSO MAP: Which parts of Paris region are most vulnerable to heatwaves?

Emergency plans

One thing that has improved in recent years is how France deals with its heatwaves.

After 2003’s fatal summer, the French government introduced new protocols to protect the public whenever the temperature rises above a certain threshold. 

Today, when the temperature soars, the government issues health advice on staying safe, which includes: drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, staying indoors during the hottest part of the day (afternoon and early evening), keeping in the shade, exercising only during the coolest parts of the day (early morning and late nights) and eating regular meals.

Most cities now have heatwave plans. Parks stay open at night and ‘cool rooms’ open up to give those in at-risk groups a chance to be taken somewhere they can cool down.

READ ALSO ‘Don’t sleep naked’ – How to get a good night’s sleep in a French heatwave

Fire risk

Extreme temperatures and long periods without rain also increase the risk of wildfires. 

The year 2022 was the worst on record for wildfires in France. In total 72,000 hectares, or an area seven times the size of Paris, burned over the summer.

READ ALSO Do heatwaves cause wildfires in France?

Overall, 90 percent of fires are caused by humans – either deliberately or accidentally. But while casually throwing away a cigarette is objectively dumb, heatwaves can – and do – increase the risk of fires.

Where weather conditions do have a major effect is in turning what would perhaps have been a containable fire into a wildfire that devours thousands of hectares of ground and prompt evacuations.

High temperatures make it more likely that fires will start, but drought conditions cause these fires to spread – parched vegetation with no moisture catches extremely easily. In the height of summer, large parts of the south of France are particularly at risk of wildfires.

This is far from a new phenomenon. It’s why there has always been a wildfire ‘season’ in the hottest months of the year and why wildfires are much less common – though not unheard of – in winter.

In October 1970, 11 people died in a wildfire near France’s far southeastern border with Italy and in 1985 an inferno in the same area killed five volunteer firefighters.

Deaths are more unusual today, thanks to improved techniques and technology, but the fires themselves are getting more common, bigger and occur over a wider geographical area.

Poor air quality resulting from wildfire smoke can be a serious health risk to those with respiratory conditions.

If you live in an area where wildfires are common, make sure you sign up to the government emergency text alert system so you get the latest advice on whether you need to evacuate. You can also keep track of the risk of wildfire in your area by checking the government’s forest fire map, which is updated daily. 

And you have legal obligations, too, relating to keeping your property as clear as possible of fire hazards during key wildfire periods.

READ ALSO Wildfires: The new legal requirements for French property owners

SHOW COMMENTS