The students in the upper secondary classes will have experienced six months of extraordinary pace. They will have been switching between distance learning and in-school classes since 30 November 2020. But the measure will end on 31 May, after the Whitsun holiday, the ministry of education, youth and children has confirmed. On that date, all pupils from fourth to second grade will be back "according to their normal weekly timetable, in whole classes".

This is possible and "the increased frequency of rapid self-tests, which will make schools safer".

Double ambition

The aim of the measure is twofold. On the one hand, to enable "young people to resume regular school life and a more natural way of living together; their well-being, weakened by more than a year of restrictions, will be improved. And this will be done in the greatest possible safety, thanks to the self-tests and the maintenance of the sanitary measures in force, such as the compulsory wearing of masks. On the other hand, "for the final stretch before the end of the school year, all pupils can take full advantage of the lessons and teachers can carry out their support as closely as possible to the needs of young people."

All pupils and staff in the schools . This will be increased to twice a week from 31 May. "High school students will self-test twice a week, in their school building, always under the supervision of a teacher. Primary school pupils from cycle 2 onwards will continue to self-test once a week at school. They will receive a second kit in addition, to be used at home with their parents," the ministry confirms.

Ensuring the smooth running of pupils' exams in Year 1

On 17 May, pupils in grade 1 will also start the final exams of the secondary cycle. And everything is being done to ensure that they run as smoothly as possible.

Therefore, for them, "during the last three school days, i.e. on 10, 11 and 12 May 2021, the teaching is done at remotely". Four other measures were also planned:

- preventive testing: all pupils will receive or have received an invitation to the large-scale testing and a kit of five self-tests;

- the test rooms will be specially adapted;

- sick pupils will be able to retake their test on 3 June if they were absent for one day, or in the autumn session if they were absent for longer;

- students in quarantine will be able to obtain an exemption to take their test.