Paris (AFP)
The Minister of Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, reaffirmed on Tuesday the priority given to primary school and played the card of appeasement after a tense end of the year, for example by opening the door to developments in the high school reform.
A few days before the start of the new year, on September 2, he placed the year 2019-2020 "under the sign of maturity and success", during his ritual press conference, organized in the garden of the ministry to illustrate a willingness to act in favor of sustainable development.
The primary school remains the "priority" of the government, said Blanquer, as illustrated by the flagship measure of its law "for a school of trust" voted this summer: the reduction to three years of the age of compulsory education, against six today. The measure will concern only 2.5% of children but it is an important stake for territories like Mayotte or Guyana.
In addition, the reduction in the number of CP and CE1 classes in disadvantaged neighborhoods is ending. Some 300,000 students are concerned and they should be 450,000 by the end of the five-year period, with President Emmanuel Macron having announced in the spring that it will be progressively extended to the higher education classes in priority education.
"This is good news but we will ask the minister how he intends to do, because it will not have to inflate the numbers of other classes," warned Monday Francette Popineau, secretary general of Snuipp-FSU, the first teachers' union primary school.
"Equality of opportunity also means schooling children with disabilities," said the minister, recalling that 4,500 accompanying students with disabilities (AESH) were recruited.
Implemented last year in CP, CE1 and 6th, student evaluations, much criticized by some of the teachers, are maintained but reviewed to take account of criticism.
Judging "essential" the issue of the environment, Mr. Blanquer also announced that 250,000 "eco delegates" would be appointed (one per class in college and high school) to promote the implementation of concrete actions.
- "Turn the page"-
Another project of the government: the delicate reform of the baccalaureate, which must be effective in 2021. This reform, which will reduce the number of final tests in favor of continuous monitoring, is accompanied by a redesign of teaching in high school.
This year, the series (L, ES and S) are suppressed in First class and replaced by specialty courses. The reform has crystallized the oppositions of those who fear the introduction of a "local" and no longer national, to rejillir end of June on the bac, tainted by a strike correctors.
"The reasons for the anger are there, this return will be complicated because it is full of uncertainties," says Claire Guéville, National Secretary of Snes-FSU, the first union in the secondary, opposed to the reform.
In receiving the unions over the past few days, the minister wanted to clear the ground and announced that "monitoring committees" would be set up to take into account any difficulties and decide on developments.
In this season, the minister seems to play the card of appeasement. "It's time to turn the page on the tank crisis, to move on," he said, with a clear change of tone from July. He also stressed the need to strengthen the well-being of teachers.
In particular, he detailed the measures of the school violence plan, which has been postponed many times: at the start of the school year, personalized support for teachers who have been victims of violence is put in place. Highly disruptive and "poly-excluded" students from different schools may be assigned to relay classes without the family's consent.
Accused repeatedly by the unions to remain deaf to their demands, the minister insisted on "the need to work in depth with the social partners". With a view to pension reform, which could penalize teachers in particular, it will be necessary to "revalue this profession", he assured. "We have a historic opportunity to work quietly" on this issue. The teachers, meanwhile, hope to quickly obtain salary increases.
© 2019 AFP