Covid-19: directors of middle and high schools oppose the lifting of medical confidentiality at school – LCI

The heads of secondary schools are stepping up to the plate. The text providing for the extension of the health pass until July 31, 2022, voted on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, October 21 by the National Assembly, includes an amendment relating to the “health vigilance” which allows school directors, principals and principals to know the vaccination status of students. The initiative is not unanimous on the side of the teaching teams.

Currently, no pupil is obliged to indicate whether he is vaccinated or not, by virtue of medical confidentiality. But the text provides that “the directors of primary and secondary schools and the persons they specially empower for this purpose (principals and principals)” may “have access to information relating to the virological status of pupils, to the existence of contacts with infected persons as well as to their vaccination status”.

The amendment would thus aim to “facilitate the organization of screening and vaccination campaigns and organize teaching conditions to prevent the risk of spreading the virus” and so, in fine, class closures.

“It is a measure which is quite surprising at this stage”, estimates Bruno Bobkiewicz, secretary general of the union of management personnel (SNPDEN-UNSA) and principal of a school in Vincennes, interviewed on LCI in the video at the top of this article. “The issue had already been raised this summer but was ultimately not retained. Since then, other provisions have been put in place for almost eight weeks, which give complete satisfaction.”

The protocol put in place for the time being in middle and upper secondary schools is based solely on declarations on the honor of parents. In the event of Covid declared in a class, they must indicate whether their child is vaccinated or not, because only unvaccinated young people then follow the courses at a distance. A device that offers good results, according to Bruno Bobkiewicz. “We are not at all asking for this measure, it is rather a measure of the Ministry of Health which is completely disconnected from the need and the current functioning rather than an idea of ​​the National Education”, he says.

“Such a measure bears the beginnings of a stigmatization of pupils in the exercise of their equal right to education”, worries for its part the federation of parents FCPE in a press release published on October 19, estimating that only the compulsory vaccines should be known by nurses and school doctors and management.

In primary school, on the other hand, the initiative is well received. It would allow“prevent children from returning to class when they have a family member tested positive or when they are themselves”, believes Guislaine David, spokesperson for SNUipp-FSU, the majority union among school teachers, in The world.

A “common sense measure”, defended for his part the deputy president of the group LaREM Aurore Bergé Thursday on franceinfo. The current system includes “the possible risk that all sworn statements are not true”, she stressed, before stating the purpose of the amendment is “to protect our adolescents because the epidemic risk can also concern them”.

“When I hear irresponsible people yesterday in the hemicycle saying ‘There is no risk’, but what do they know? “, she argued, arguing that the government has deployed the “vaccination coverage also for 12-17 year olds” because he “considers that there is a risk”.

In unison with other oppositions, LR Philippe Gosselin blasted the government’s plans on Wednesday: “You are opening an unthinkable breach in a secret (medical at school, editor’s note) which must be kept.” Senators are already critical of this amendment, so that the passage of the text at the Luxembourg Palace could be compromised. “It does not seem to me to be the role of a teacher to monitor the health situation of children”, estimated Thursday on Public Senate the boss of socialist senators Patrick Kanner, who says “very reserved” on this measure.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, 75% of 12-17 year olds have received a first dose of vaccine and 71% are fully vaccinated.