Back to school after the Christmas holidays, scheduled for January 3, 2023, will finally take place on January 9 and a week of distancing lessons will be imposed in February.
Le Monde With AFP
This is a new unexpected consequence of the surge in energy prices: the University of Strasbourg will close two additional weeks this winter, announced, Monday, September 19, the presidency of the establishment, A choice denounced by union organizations.
“A third week of Christmas holidays in early January and a full week of distant courses in February” will be set up, detailed Michel Deneken, the president of the university, in a video addressed to students and Published on Youtube .
Back to school 2023, scheduled for January 3, should therefore finally take place on January 9, after a week of administrative closure, without any education being assured. Other economy measures, heating, set at 19 degrees, will be lit “as late as possible” and a communication campaign will be deployed “in favor of eco -gestes for a more sustainable planet”, also said Deneken.
“The cost of energy (…) flies more and more every day,” said the president of the University of Strasbourg, recalling that the establishment had to “take its share in the transition ecological “. “Following the government’s announcements, we sought the means to reduce our energy consumption by 10 % while preserving the functioning of your university as much as possible,” tried to justify Michel Deneken.
“TeleTravail Imposed “
The university, which had nearly 57,000 students in 2020-2021, saw its energy bill explode. Its expenses of electricity, gas and heating on network increased from 10 million euros in 2021 to 13 million euros in 2022, after a corporate budget granted an extension of 1.5 million euros additional. For 2023, 20 million were enrolled in the provisional budget.
“Administrative closures constitute a sprain in the principle of continuity of public service”, denounced in a press release the unitary union federation (FSU). Research activities could, according to her, suffer from these measures, with less access to laboratories. The FSU considers that these measures come back to an imposed “telework” for certain personnel, and will lead to weigh on employees “heating and electricity costs which should be borne by the employer”.