‘Make decisions as early as possible’: Headteacher in France on reopening of schools during coronavirus

Interview: Laurent David says things have been going well for his primary near Nantes

A French headteacher has shared his experience of reopening his school in Nantes during the coronavirus outbreak (Laurent David)

In a primary school near France’s west coast, children are keeping their distance from one another, staying at least a metre apart as they play during break.

And inside Ecole elementaire la Metairie, half the classrooms are empty, as teachers try and reduce contact with others.

There is no mixing and they aren’t touching each other,” Laurent David, the headteacher of the school near Nantes, tells The Independent.

“They aren’t wearing masks, but they are following the orders very well, like using hand gel.”

The students – aged between five and 11 years old – are experiencing school during the time of coronavirus. ​

As countries hit by coronavirus start making the first steps back towards normal life, children are returning to the classroom and parents back to work.

In England, schools have been told to prepare for certain years to come back from 1 June, with the aim of all primary schools students returning for a month before the summer – a move which has faced criticism from unions and councils over safety concerns.

Meanwhile in France, which has also been badly-affected by Covid-19, children were allowed back to school last week.

Mr David says the Ecole elementaire la Metairie started teaching pupils aged five to 11 in school again on 12 May.

“In the morning, we are bringing in around half of these children,” he says. “And during the afternoon, we are looking after the children who have stayed at home by doing distance teaching.”

However, he says schools were under no obligation to open, and the Ecole elementaire la Metairie asked parents for their opinion first.

Similar to advice in England, schools have been told to limit class sizes to 15 children. This should be reduced to 10 for the youngest pupils in France.

Although things have been going well, it gets much harder trying to get younger children to socially distance, Mr David explains. That is why lots of schools – including the preschool attached to his primary – have not yet brought children younger than five years old back into the classroom.

He says other places have been bringing children back on alternate days, or even alternate weeks.

“No school is working in the same way. The problem with making a six-year-old do a full day when they must stay at a table without moving around, is that becomes a very long day from them.”

Mr David adds: “That makes teaching conditions very bad. Because of that, we decided to just open for mornings. It makes it easier, more effective for students, and more bearable.”

However, he says it was difficult to balance the parents’ needs who were eager to return to work full time.

He adds that schools have to follow health safety guidelines given to every headteacher, and the Ecole elementaire la Metairie​ decided the best way they could open safely was to offer half days for now.

Children aged between five to 11 have returned to the Ecole elementaire la Metairie near Nantes (Google Maps)

Included in the guidelines is what to do if a child displays symptoms: call the parents straight away, and get them tested.

Last Thursday, a child from the primary school near Nantes had to be taken home after falling ill and is waiting for their test results.

“If it is really coronavirus, we may have to shut the school or send a class home,

“We don’t have any problem doing that,” he adds.

France allowed preschools and primary schools to reopen from the start of last week, with secondary schools allowed to gradually welcome students back from 18 May – although these older students must wear face masks.

Places in “red zones” – including Paris and northeast France – have been told their schools must reopen at a later date than the rest of the country, as their Covid-19 outbreak has been worse.

Parents also have the right to keep their children at home if they wish.

When asked what advice Mr David had for headteachers in England working to reopen schools next month, he says it is important to be “well-prepared”.

“It took us two weeks to prepare properly,” he says, adding they were ready to open on the first day.

“The most important thing is to make decisions as early as possible.”