Teachers called to strike against a “catastrophic return to school”

A week after the start of the school year, three teachers’ unions are denouncing the generalisation of assessments in elementary schools and their working conditions, particularly in Seine-Saint-Denis where an emergency plan is still being demanded.

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The inter-union is still demanding an emergency plan for education in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis. (ERIC BRONCARD / HANS LUCAS via AFP)

FSU-Snuipp, CGT-Éducation and Sud-Éducation are calling for a strike on Tuesday, September 10 to denounce the generalization of assessments in classes from CP to CM2. They also wish to denounce working conditions in schools, in particular class sizes and the lack of attractiveness of the teaching profession.

Tuesday also sees the revival of the protest movement in Seine-Saint-Denis launched last February. The inter-union is still demanding an emergency plan for education in this department, the poorest in metropolitan France. A “catastrophic return to school”, This is what these mobilized professors are denouncing. “For nine months, nothing has been done. The fire in the 93 has not been extinguished,” tonne Louise Paternoster, a teacher in a school in Saint-Denis and representative of the CGT-Éduc’Action union in the department. She particularly points out the lack of staff in schools.

“In 65% of middle schools and 71% of high schools, there is a shortage of at least one teaching staff member. The problem of replacements is catastrophic in the department. That’s 15 months stolen from an entire school year due to the lack of replacements.”

Louise Paternoster, CGT-Éduc’Action

to franceinfo

Last year, after four months of mobilization, the inter-union had secured a meeting with the Minister of Education Nicole Belloubet, but the dissolution of the National Assembly cancelled everything. “For us, it’s a real hold-up,” the unionist is indignant. These teachers are therefore still defending their emergency plan of 358 million euros, in particular to create 5,000 additional teaching posts and a little over 3,000 school life jobs.

The motivation is still there, assures Louise Paternoster. “Today we have staff who are making up for the shortfalls, who are working miracles with bits of string, but who are not giving up. We know that by standing up and getting involved, it has opened the doors of the rue de Grenelle for us. The goal is that today we are heard again.” The inter-union will therefore request an audience as soon as possible with the next person who will occupy the Ministry of Education.


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