six months later, the SE-Unsa union makes an initial assessment

More than 3,000 teachers responded to questions sent by the teaching union. Their responses allow us to better understand their motivations and the daily consequences of the pact proposed since the start of the school year in September.

The SE-Unsa union unveiled the results of its investigation into the teaching pact at a press conference on Thursday February 29. Implemented at the start of the 2023 school year, this system aims to increase the remuneration of teachers in exchange for one or more additional missions (short-term replacement, intervention in the ‘Homework done’ system at college, etc.). “We are now close to 30% of teachers who have joined the pact”specified last January the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal.

“It was necessary to give staff a voice so that they could say what they thought”, estimates the SE-Unsa. Thus, from December 8, 2023 to January 3, 2024, the union sent a questionnaire to “teachers, CPE, National Education psychologist, tenured and contract workers”. 3,378 responded to the survey. “Among them, 63% did not sign up to the Teachers’ Pact and 37% signed up to it”specifies the union.

Missions already completed but not previously paid

“If the question of insufficient remuneration is one of the reasons most chosen” by respondents who signed up to the teacher pact (69.9%), “we can note, with some surprise, that even more respondents said they found the missions interesting (77%)”notes the SE-Unsa.

Furthermore, 66.3% of respondents who joined this system emphasize that they are now paid for missions that they already carried out previously, projects with students most of the time (theater lessons, choir, academic support For example). But short-term replacements are not part of these missions, for the most part, even though this was one of the government’s main motivations.

88% of respondents who refused to join the teacher pact explain having a “already too much work”. 89% refused “by principle or conviction”. 35.4% are not interested in the missions offered. “But they also stressed that, although not adhering to the pact, their current remuneration does not satisfy them (85%)”adds SE-Unsa.

Less available colleagues

This qualitative survey, which does not have the value of a survey, also points to very different assessments of the effects of the teachers’ pact. “A little over a quarter of ‘non-contracted’ colleagues believe that their ‘contracted’ colleagues are less available, while only 17% of ‘contracted’ colleagues consider this”, raises the union. But 65.3% of signatories to the teacher pact consider that this commitment “impacts meeting times and changes their schedule”. A minority, 18.4% of “non-pact” believe that the participation of their colleagues in the teaching pact “has negative consequences on their schedule”.

“Colleagues who have signed up to it will have to work overtime. This will prevent them from having as much time as they wish for consultation with their other colleagues. This means that even colleagues who do not who have not adhered to the pact will suffer the consequences of the choices of their other colleagues. This can create tensions within the teams and degrade the working conditions of our other colleagues.”, declares on franceinfo Audrey Lalanne, national secretary of SE-Unsa in the quality of life and working conditions sector. 20% of respondents, signatories or not of the teachers’ pact, declare that the system has generated tensions between teachers.

More fatigue

On personal plans, “It was fatigue that emerged as one of the first elements, with a gendered difference since it was more women who said they were tired (36.7%) in relation to carrying out pact missions than men “ (29.6%), note on France Inter Gilles Langlois, the national secretary of Unsa. 34.8% of pact members feel “more tired”, according to this survey. Nearly 30% have “less time for work upstream and downstream of their service obligations”. 15.4% have “less time to meet families”.

A meeting was planned at the Ministry of Education in February, but it was canceled due to recent changes in minister, with no rescheduled date.