It is also a source of confusion among our neighbors. In Italy, for example, in the next few days, orders follow counter orders. Some areas around Naples, especially Sicily and Campania, have taken more drastic measures than average. The Campania governor wanted the school closed until the end of the month. The Administrative Court overturned this decision, and the Central Government in Rome sharply criticized the attitude of the Italian region. Also, the national system is hard to read: tests every five days in primary school in the case of a positive student, closure in kindergarten, FFP2 mask in middle school, but closure when it comes to three cases in a class … nothing is very clear.

Rules for wearing a mask in Switzerland, Belgium or the Netherlands Not very readable. In Belgium, for example, it is now required to be worn indoors from the age of 6, but there are exceptions. In the Netherlands, teachers are required to wear a mask outside the classroom, but not inside. In Switzerland, the rules vary from one cantonment to another. So everywhere it’s a cacophony: a cat will not find its cubs there.

There are class closures elsewhere, especially in England. In Ireland, it has become a puzzle in recent days. In some schools 40% of students and 50% of teachers are missing. No longer available to replace. The Irish media also mentions classroom closures related to room temperature: some recorded 6 ° C levels due to room ventilation instructions to comply with sanitary protocol.

In England, The Omicron wave hit hard, and retired teachers were called to the rescue and classes were merged. The head teachers’ union estimates that the percentage of staff who do not attend is 10%, and 37% of schools cannot find replacements. The only good news coming from our British neighbors is that the number of cases is declining and declining, especially in London. But in short, everyone is tinkering.

Specialization of France For the past two years, it has been trying to keep its schools open at all costs. Like Italy or the United States, many countries have closed their schools completely for very long months. Even more serious: in Uganda, East Africa, schools reopened on Monday, January 10, after nearly two years of non-stop closure! Occasionally, governments often decide to extend the holidays: an extra week in Portugal, Belgium, or the Netherlands, with the start of the school year only on January 10th.

Among the comparable countries, France is the most successful country in opening schools for more than two years, along with the Nordic countries: Norway, Sweden and Finland. But we can clearly see that this political will to close classes and not increase social inequality is difficult to apply when cases are increasing among children and adolescents, as is the case everywhere in Europe today.