Paris: Schools in France will hold three security drills a year – including one in which an alleged assailant enters their premises – as the French government ramps up security measures after a string of deadly extremist attacks.
Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced a series of measures Wednesday to improve how French schools and children handle terror threats. Thousands of police reservists will also patrol outside French schools next week as children return to the classroom. The measures include children in pre-school and kindergarten, aged 2 to 6, playing “le roi du silence” – silence reigns – games in which they are taught to hide and keep quiet, while not mentioning an attack or danger.
Students will be taught how to hide or to escape, depending on the situation and where they are. All students aged 13-14 and class representatives will also get a basic training on life-saving measures.