Called for by teachers ‘unions and parents’ associations for several months to fight against the Covid-19 epidemic, the generalization of CO2 sensors in schools is not yet a reality. According to our information, confirmed by the Ministry of Education, only 20% of schools, 38% of colleges and 54% of high schools are currently equipped with CO2 sensors.
These devices measure the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air in each room. When the threshold is exceeded, the device signals it, indicating the need to ventilate the premises immediately. A useful tool in the fight against the spread of the virus.
Financial assistance for communities in difficulty
Invited Tuesday on RTL, the Minister of Education declared that they were “not the magic solution to the problem”. Even if during his back-to-school conference, Jean-Michel Blanquer had expressed his wish to “generalize CO2 sensors”.
Still on RTL, Jean-Michel Blanquer recalled that the equipment of establishments concerning these devices fell within the “competence of communities”. Because it is the town halls which are responsible for elementary and nursery schools, the departments assuming this responsibility for the colleges, and the regions for the high schools. At the start of the school year, the minister announced his ministry’s financial support to communities for the purchase of sensors, which cost 50 to 600 euros, depending on their sophistication. “We already have an envelope of 20 million euros to reimburse local communities that request it, but only needy communities,” Jean-Michel Blanquer recalled on RTL.
Calls from all sides
On the ground, the educational community finds that things are not going fast enough. “There is a strong disparity in equipment depending on the region”, indicates Catherine Nave-Bekhti, general secretary of Sgen-CFDT. The union filed a social alert on Monday with the ministry to denounce the working conditions of educational staff during this fifth wave. The SE-Unsa also carried out this process.
The SNUipp-FSU also called on the ministry to “help equip all schools with CO2 sensors”. In a column published at the end of August in The world, around thirty doctors and teachers indicated that “the recommendation to equip establishments with CO2 detectors is not enough: this must be the rule”. But a financial brake does exist among communities, which are already facing an increase in their spending to finance masks, disinfect the premises, provide staff to ensure school catering while respecting barrier gestures …