What will be the main projects of the future Minister of Education?

• Emmanuel Macron has promised 12 billion euros per year by 2027 for education and youth, including 6 billion for salary increases.

• He will have to appoint a Minister of Education who can win the confidence of teachers, but also reform the college and the vocational high school.

• Putting math back in the common core in high school is also an imperative for the president.

  But the way to get there is still unclear.

More resources for schools, colleges, high schools and teachers.

Education is announced as one of the most important projects of this new five-year term.

Moreover, Emmanuel Macron has promised 12 billion euros per year by 2027 for education and youth, including 6 billion for salary increases.

Especially since educational emergencies are numerous.

takes stock of the priorities awaiting the future government.

Restore trust between the Minister of Education and teachers

The end of the Macron 1 five-year term ends on a negative note concerning the teachers' relationship with their minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer.

The very well-attended strike of January 13 sounded like a kind of disavowal for him, according to Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary Snes-FSU, the first union in secondary education: “We have reached a historic breaking point.

He is criticized for his very vertical method, his announcements discovered in the press, the fact that he does not support contradiction.

“An opinion shared by Guillaume Prévost, general delegate of VersLeHaut, a think tank dedicated to youth and education: “Teachers have been quite burnt over the past year.

Jean-Michel Blanquer directed with circular blows, without worrying too much about the implementation of his decisions on the ground.

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To mark a new era, Emmanuel Macron promised "a new method".

In terms of education, “The objectives will be set nationally, but we will locally decline the ways and means to achieve them”, he declared during the debate between the two rounds with Marine Le Pen.

It remains to be seen who he will appoint rue de Grenelle: “Given the sensitive context, he will undoubtedly choose an open personality and concerned about intermediary bodies.

Especially since the executive has everything to fear from a third social round, ”said Guillaume Prévost.

Increase teacher salaries

Primary and secondary teachers earn 7% less than the average for OECD countries, and 20% less after ten or fifteen years of service, according to the annual

published in September 2021. Emmanuel Macron promised that the index point, used to calculate the salaries of civil servants, would be revalued “before the summer”.

He also announced a “substantial increase” in the remuneration of teachers, which would be correlated with the acceptance of new missions (replacements, help with homework, individualized follow-up of students, etc.).

In addition, he said he wanted to raise salaries so that there is "no more career start under 2,000 euros" per month.

An emergency, according to Sophie Vénétitay: “The salary downgrading of teachers is a reality, as well as the impoverishment of the youngest among them.

But we are not in favor of "working more to earn more".

We must simply revalue the act of teaching and not increase the number of overtime hours worked or their amount.

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Lively discussions are to be expected, anticipates Guillaume Prévost: “The subject of teachers' service obligations is explosive.

So a big round of negotiations is to be expected.

On the other hand, the 10% increase in the first rungs should be decided more easily, ”he believes.

Solving the recruitment crisis

It is the hot potato that all the Ministers of Education pass over, without really finding a solution.

But the situation is serious.

In 2021, 238 positions remained vacant in the second degree, in particular in mathematics, classics and German.

At the same time, resignations have increased: 937 in primary school in 2021, 617 in middle school and high school.

"Some classes, especially in college, have no teachers in certain disciplines," says Sophie Vénétitay.

To straighten the situation, it is obviously necessary to increase remuneration, but also to improve working conditions: "By reducing the size of the class and allowing trainee teachers to make a gradual entry into the profession", suggests the trade unionist.

Put math back in the common core in high school

Since the high school reform, math has disappeared from the common core in 1st and final year, and the discipline is only taught as a specialty.

This penalizes the training of students and limits their choice of orientation in higher education.

Emmanuel Macron has promised to reintroduce discipline, first in 1st class.

“We are heading towards 1h30 of maths, which would be added to the science education of 1re.

It's a bit of a patch, ”judges Sophie Vénétitay.

The unions are especially wondering about the feasibility of the measure, while the preparation for the start of the school year is already complete.

Another uncertainty: will there be enough math teachers to provide lessons, when they are already in deficit?

Reform the college

This will have been the poor relation of education under Macron 1. Not only did it not benefit from any reform, but it lost resources: “There was a population surge in college at the start of the five-year period while the number of positions has decreased.

We don't have the means to work in small groups”, observes Sophie Vénétitay.

Aware that the 6th grade class is crucial, Emmanuel Macron announced during the debate his wish that it be duplicated, probably in REP + at first.

He also promised a reform of the orientation.

From the 5th to the 3rd, half a day per week should be devoted to “manual and practical teaching”, “digital teaching” and the discovery of trades.

"It would be a way of upgrading the professional sector upstream, by giving more space to practical skills," says Guillaume Prévost.

Reform the vocational high school

Emmanuel Macron has announced his wish to increase internship periods in companies by 50% and to pay high school students during their time in companies.

“Because he wants the vocational high school to be inspired by the success of apprenticeship training.

But increasing the time in the company would require reducing the number of hours of general education, which the teachers' unions do not want, ”underlines Guillaume Prévost.

Hence, here too, lively discussions are to be expected.

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• Emmanuel Macron

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• Education

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