Back-to-school date put back

THE NEXT school year will start on September 2, a day later than previously announced.

During a visit to a school in Melun, education minister Benoît Hamon said that teachers would return to work after the summer holidays on September 1, followed by students a day later.

Insisting that the decision was made in the best interests of teachers and children, Mr Hamon said: “Contrary to what was announced yesterday, the teachers’ preparation day has not been cancelled.”

He said that he had been considering the issue since he attended a meeting with headteachers last month, who raised concerns about the plans for teachers - including 40,000 new recruits - to return to work on August 29.

And, he added: “Maintaining the planned schedule was not possible.”

Yesterday, teachers’ union SNES-FSU announced on Twitter that its members would return to school on September 1, the day students’ had been scheduled to return, leading to speculation and confusion over whether the preparation day had been cancelled.