Today is the return to school for 12 million French students. Between schedules and the purchase of school supplies, the eternal question arises: should I take out specific school insurance? We turn the topic around.
• It is not mandatory (except in many cases)
Every year, schoolchildren, university students and high school students must present, at the request of their establishment, a certificate of school insurance.
However, it is not required. As Service Public.fr reminds us, “for all compulsory school activities, that is to say those included in the child’s schedule, insurance is optional even if it is strongly recommended by the ministry in charge of National Education.
However, it is mandatory (and will be mandatory) for optional activities organized by the establishment (visit to a museum, language course, discovery classes, etc.).
But, as the consumer association UFC Que Choisir points out, “in practice, it often happens that establishments take out collective liability contracts for school outings, which reduces the usefulness of individual school insurance.”
It is also required if your child is registered in the dining room.
Or if you participate in activities organized by the municipalities outside school hours (supervised studies, cultural or sports activities).
• Basic and additional guarantees
School insurance protects against damage caused or suffered at school, college or high school by your child.
Two basic guarantees are included in all contracts:
- the civil liability guarantee covers damage caused by the child,
- the bodily injury warranty covers damage suffered by the child, even if he harms himself.
Two types of contracts can be offered:
- School insurance: the child is insured during school activities and on the way to school,
- School and extracurricular insurance: the child is then insured in all circumstances, except if he carries out a paid professional activity.
Companies can also offer optional guarantees as in all insurance contracts.
We can cite protection against extortion or theft, home registration services in case of illness or injury, 24-hour protection… Obviously, all these options are billed in addition.
Note: if your child changes schools or establishments, you must inform your insurer.
• Beware of duplicates!
Remember to check that you no longer benefit from the school insurance guarantees in another insurance contract. This may be the case with multi-risk home insurance contracts..
But be careful, multi-risk home insurance can “cover the civil liability of the child for the damage that he may cause to others, but not the bodily harm that he may suffer,” recalls the Ministry of Economy.
“Some personal contracts (individual accident guarantee or life accident guarantee) can also guarantee bodily accidents suffered by the child”, recalls Service Public.fr.
Remember that if you can contract this insurance with your usual insurer, it is also possible to join a collective contract offered by a parents’ association.
• How much does it cost?
The cost is set by the insurance company, but prices usually start at around 10 euros per year and per child. Additional warranties may inflate this fee.
• What about the insurance offered by the parent-teacher federations?
The Federation of Parents’ Councils (FCPE) offers insurance contracts in collaboration with Mutuelle Assurance Pupil (MAE), while the Federation of Parents of Public Education Pupils (Peep) collaborates with Mutuelles du Mans Insurance (MMA).
“Their proposals are neither more nor less interesting than those of other insurers and mutuals,” judges UFC Que Choisir.
Source: BFM TV
