Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, “part-time” Minister of National Education? “No, I don’t think so,” replies SNPDEN number one

If Bruno Bobkiewicz recognizes that the former tennis champion is “rather new” to Education, he hopes that the double charge will perhaps allow “we to calm down a little” on the reforms.

Will Amélie Oudéa-Castéra be a Minister of National Education? “part-time”, as the teaching union Snes-FSU asserts? “No, I do not think so”, responds Friday January 12 on franceinfo Bruno Bobkiewicz, secretary general of the National Union of Management Personnel of National Education (SNPDEN) and principal of the Cité Scolaire Buffon in Paris (15th). If Amélie Oudéa-Castéra recovers this portfolio, as well as that of Youth, she retains that of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The period during which it will have to manage the Paris 2024 Olympics file and that of Education simultaneously will be “provisional”underlines Bruno Bobkiewicz.

That a member of the government combines Sports and National Education, “this is a situation that we have already experienced”, he also points out. Indeed, “Jean-Michel Blanquer had almost the same portfolio”. However, “his original background was education, and it was not an Olympic year.” Amélie Oudéa-Castéra is a former junior tennis champion and served as general director of the French Tennis Federation. “At this point, she’s pretty new to education.”which gives rise “some concerns”, recognizes Bruno Bobkiewicz.

Perhaps a slowdown in reforms

The principal of the Cité Scolaire Buffon, in Paris, declares himself calm. “She will certainly surround herself with competent and responsible people, who will be able to support and help her. In any case, we wish her”, he says. He also highlights the involvement of Emmanuel Macron and Gabriel Attal on the education issue: “It is very likely that the minister is in very close contact with these two people who make it a central issue and who sometimes take very direct decisions.”

For him, the appointment of Amélie Oudéa-Castéra is also an opportunity. In view of the numerous files in her charge, she “will perhaps be forced to slow down the pace of reforms”, what “won’t necessarily be bad news”. “In the few years we have just lived, everything has changed in a very short time, and it would be good if we calm down a little”he points out.