Didier Georges, national secretary of SNPDEN-Unsa, the union of management staff in National Education, denounced Friday March 18 on franceinfo the “false new idea” of Emmanuel Macron who proposes, in his candidate program, to condition an increase in the remuneration of teachers on the acceptance of “new assignments”. These missions will be the “systematic replacement of teachers”a “more individualized monitoring of students” or even a “accompaniment in the extracurricular”. For Didier Georges, this proposal risks creating “weekly work time” who would be “extremely difficult to bear” since, according to him, teachers already work between “42 and 47 hours” per week.
franceinfo: An increase in the salaries of teachers in return for replacements. Is it a good idea ?
Didier Georges : This is a false new idea. We are already replacing teachers. It is very difficult to do. By statute, we have already made an imposition of the number of overtime hours that they cannot refuse. So there has already been a measure like this taken by previous governments. And today, if we ask them to work even more… They already work a lot and all the studies have shown that they work between 42 and 47 hours per week for a basic service. So you imagine that with even more benefits due to the State, we would bring them to a weekly working time, preparations and corrections included, which would be extremely difficult to support.
Why are there difficulties in replacing teachers?
There is the question of teachers and brigades of replacements, the so-called contractors, who are personnel recruited by the inspectors and who are supposed to replace absent colleagues. The pandemic period that we have just gone through has put a lot of demand on these replacement devices. But above all there is a lack of resources. That is to say that today, including among the holders, there are no longer enough teachers. So, before asking teachers to work more, we should perhaps already recruit some. This would be an essential prerequisite.
Should we think about an unconditioned revaluation?
You have to think about upgrading. But the consideration that Emmanuel Macron mentions in his program seems to me to be just another step. First, to restore the attractiveness of this profession so that we are not at 20% contractual, but that we return to contractual levels, therefore non-tenured teachers, which are a little more reasonable. And then, to rekindle the desire of students, today at university, to become teachers. I don’t believe that’s the case. Studies show it anyway. There is a lack of love for this function even though it is eminently noble.
Are you in favor of more autonomy for secondary schools, colleges and high schools?
Absolutely opposed for so many reasons. You have to remember history and history is important. In the years 2005-2010, there were already establishments with the ECLAIR label, schools, colleges, high schools for ambition, innovation and success. These establishments had recruitment rights over teachers. Apart from the fact that this may have caused internal tensions, it did not work. And then, sincerely, today, we are talking about National Education. We are talking about a school that must be fair and equitable, and we are going to put schools and school heads in competition with each other to recruit staff who are supposedly better than the other, when we know very well that this is not at stake. This is also played out on a question of means, it must be said, but it is also played out on a question of well-being in the establishments. The proposal of the candidate president is not one, since it is the recycling of ideas which have already not worked. So we are not fooled and we are against it.